SpaceX will cease production of new Crew Dragon capsules, according to a company executive speaking with Reuters.
While the company currently has four Crew Dragon capsules, SpaceX is also planning to succeed the spacecraft with Starship, a rocket made for eventual trips to the moon and Mars.
The company will cap its Crew Dragon fleet to help push the Starship’s development to the forefront, amidst ongoing delays for the future spacecraft.
SpaceX Now Plans Next-Gen Starlink Launches with Starship Only, Instead of Falcon 9 https://t.co/oX1cAlHWlc
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) January 11, 2022
Starship’s first launch has been delayed multiple times by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and will now take place at the end of April, assuming there are no more delays.
Still, SpaceX President and CEO Gwynne Shotwell says the company still plans to complete its final capsule, while it still utilizes the fleet for a busy calendar of astronaut missions.
Shotwell said, “We are finishing our final (capsule), but we still are manufacturing components, because we’ll be refurbishing.”
Crew Dragon capsules are refurbished after each flight by SpaceX at its facilities in Florida, dubbed ‘Dragonland’.
In total, Crew Dragon has taken five separate crews of both government and private astronauts to space since 2020, largely taking astronauts to the International Space Station.
NASA also gave SpaceX $3.5 billion for the continued development and launches of Crew Dragon.
SpaceX’s hopes to launch Starship’s first orbital launch in May according to Elon Musk.
