TLDR · SCIENCE & FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY

NASA HAS A DRAGON DILEMMA, AND THERE APPEAR TO BE NO GOOD ANSWERS

arstechnica.com7 min read

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

SpaceX has made it clear to NASA that it no longer wishes to fly its Crew Dragon spacecraft, or the Falcon 9 rocket, on missions to low-Earth orbit. The company has agreed to support the International Space Station until 2030, but it intends to retire the spacecraft after that. SpaceX has told companies developing private space stations for low-Earth orbit that they cannot order Crew Dragon missions for their habitats. The company has more than fulfilled its contract obligations to NASA, so it is unlikely that the agency can compel SpaceX to keep flying Dragon.