In a commitment to prioritizing public safety, SpaceX has announced significant changes to its Dragon spacecraft recovery operations after trunk debris was found on land following a recent mission. The company has emphasized that it is unaware of any structure damage or injuries caused by the debris.
Image Credit: SpaceX
The incident prompted a thorough investigation and analysis, leading SpaceX to draw new conclusions based on the data. As a result, the company has made two immediate changes to enhance public safety. Firstly, in agreement with NASA, SpaceX has paused trunk payload disposal during return operations. This decision is based on the finding that an empty trunk has a higher probability of fully burning up during reentry, reducing the risk of debris landing on populated areas.
Secondly, SpaceX has implemented material changes to certain components of Dragon's trunk to further improve the probability of it burning up during reentry. This modification is designed to minimize the risk of debris surviving reentry and landing on land.
In addition to these immediate changes, SpaceX engineering teams have explored a wide variety of solutions to fully eliminate the risk of trunk debris landing on populated areas without increasing risk to Dragon crew or the public. Some of the options studied included a complete trunk redesign, a dedicated propulsion and guidance system to allow the trunk to deorbit itself, jettisoning the trunk at different times in the deorbit burn, and more.
After careful review and consideration of all potential solutions, coupled with the new knowledge about the standard industry models and that Dragon trunks do not fully burn up during reentry, SpaceX teams concluded that the most effective path forward is to return to West Coast recovery operations. This decision marks a significant shift in SpaceX's approach to ensuring public safety while continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of space technology.
To accomplish this, SpaceX will implement a software change that will have Dragon execute its deorbit burn before jettisoning the trunk, similar to the company's first 21 Dragon recoveries. Moving trunk separation after the deorbit burn places the trunk on a known reentry trajectory, with the trunk safely splashing down uprange of the Dragon spacecraft off the coast of California.
SpaceX is working closely with NASA, the FAA, and other federal agencies to evaluate and assess all potential return locations off the coast of California to ensure safe and reliable Dragon splashdowns on the West Coast. To support these changes, a Dragon recovery vessel will move to the Pacific, where SpaceX will utilize existing facilities in the Port of Long Beach to support initial post-flight work and operations on Dragon.
Post-splashdown, crew and cargo will transit to California ahead of their final destinations, such as Houston, Texas, or Cape Canaveral, Florida. Dragon refurbishment will continue to primarily take place at SpaceX's Dragon processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare the Dragon spacecraft for its next flight.
The decision to return to West Coast recovery operations demonstrates SpaceX's commitment to prioritizing public safety while continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of space technology. By taking proactive steps to mitigate risks and enhance safety, SpaceX is demonstrating its responsibility as a leader in the space industry.
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