95: Crew Dragon and Commercial Human Spaceflight. Eric Berger discusses NASA's Commercial Crew Program, initiated after the Space Shuttle retired. Boeing's entry legitimized the program, securing cruc
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Crew Dragon and Commercial Human Spaceflight. Eric Berger discusses NASA's Commercial Crew Program, initiated after the Space Shuttle retired. Boeing's entry legitimized the program, securing crucial congressional funding for competitors like SpaceX. SpaceX adapted the Dragon design for crew, involving extensive parachute testing by the "Shoot Show" team in the desert and ultimately agreeing to water landings for astronaut safety. Crew Dragon launched atop the Falcon 9 Block 5, the modern rocket iteration optimized for rapid reuse, emphasizing that reusability remained the central focus, even for human spaceflight. Guest: Eric Berger.
