THE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT BLOG: From the Space Shuttle to Beyond

Photo of the Day... Last week, SpaceX tested the Superdraco engine—which is much larger than the Draco thrusters already used in space during two Dragon missions in 2010 and last month, respectively—that will be utilized on a manned version of the Dragon spacecraft. Dragon will use four pairs of side-mounted Superdraco engines...with the ability to maneuver in Earth orbit even if four of its thrusters suddenly became nonoperational. The Superdracos would also be used to safely lift Dragon away from an errant Falcon 9 rocket in the event of a launch emergency.


Photo courtesy of SpaceX / Elon Musk - Twitter.com