Page 57 - Life beyond the Karman

The Dragon spacecraft
Dragon endeavour is a space capsule manufactured and operated by SpaceX and used by NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The Dragon spacecraft can transport up to seven passengers to Earth orbit and beyond. It can also transport significant amounts of cargo back to Earth. It has completed various crewed missions to the ISS. All Dragon and Starship missions can conduct scientific research to improve life on Earth and raise global awareness.
The Dragon spacecraft is equipped with two drogue parachutes for stabilization after re-entry, and four main parachutes for further deceleration prior to landing.
Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz is a crewed spacecraft that has been launched since 1967. It is the longest-serving design in use. It has mainly been used as a crew ferry to and from Earth-orbiting space stations, including the Salyut stations, Mir, and the ISS. Soyuz is the Russian word for “union.”
The Soyuz spacecraft is made up of three modules that are connected in a line. The central module, which is bell-shaped, contains comfortable, contoured couches for people during ascent, descent, and landing. The cylindrical service module is mounted at the rear and provides propulsion, life support, and electrical power. Finally, there is a spheroidal orbital module at the front that contains living facilities and cargo for the orbital phase of the mission, as well as the docking system.
In the 1970s, a space station resupply vehicle called Progress, which was an automated derivative of Soyuz, was developed. The design of Soyuz was modified by replacing the orbital and descent modules with cargo and refuelling modules. Progress was first launched in 1978 on a mission to Salyut 6 and has since been used for various operational purposes.
In 1987, the Soyuz TM upgrade was introduced, which included a variety of new systems. Its first crewed flight carried the second crew to the Mir space station. The Soyuz TMA made its debut in 2002, taking a crew to the ISS. An enhanced version of the Progress spacecraft was also used to transport cargo to the ISS. After the US space shuttle program ended in 2011, Soyuz became the vital means of transporting astronauts to the ISS.
Soyuz Spacecraft
The Dragon Capsule
LIFE BEYOND THE KÁRMÁN LINE - OUTER SPACE
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