So I read the stranded astronauts are about to come back to earth thanks to Space X.
How did this guy do something in half a year that other people can't?
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The Crew Capsule was a NASA let and funded project.
SpaceX recieved significant technolgy transfer from NASA, and resources from NASA.
This is without considering NASA contribution to the launch vehicle as well.
Key Funding Rounds:
🚀 2010 – SpaceX received $75 million from NASA for early design work.
🚀 2011-2014 – NASA awarded $440 million under Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap).
🚀 2014-2020 – NASA gave SpaceX $2.6 billion in a fixed-price contract to develop and certify Crew Dragon for crewed missions.
🚀 Total NASA funding to SpaceX for Crew Dragon: Over $3.1 billion.
On Technology side :
✔ Heat Shield Tech – NASA shared expertise on PICA-X, an improved version of NASA’s own PICA (Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator), used on Mars missions.
✔ Parachute Systems – NASA worked with SpaceX to develop Crew Dragon’s parachutes, which initially failed multiple tests. ( Key point Elon's cost cutting caused problems that NASA had to come in to help after faiures, though there may still be issues with Elon not fully embacing not-invented-here )
✔ Life Support & Environmental Control – NASA engineers helped SpaceX develop COâ‚‚ scrubbers, oxygen supply, and air circulation systems.
✔ Human-Rating Safety Standards – SpaceX had no experience with crewed spacecraft, so NASA guided them through rigorous safety requirements.
Well to a degree Elon had to be saved from CyberTrucking it by NASA.
✔ Parachutes failed → NASA forced a redesign.
✔ Abort system exploded → NASA forced a safer design.
✔ Touchscreens were impractical → NASA required physical buttons.
✔ Rushed schedules ignored safety → NASA slowed things down.
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