EXCLUSIVE SpaceX ending production of flagship crew capsule

March- SpaceX has cut production of a new Crew Dragon astronaut capsule, a company executive told Reuters, as Elon Musk’s space transport company piles up resources on its next-generation spaceship program. Is.

Capping the fleet on four crew dragons adds even more urgency to the development of the final successor to the astronaut capsule, the starship, the moon of SpaceX and the Mars rocket. Starship’s first launch has been delayed for months due to delays in engine development and regulatory reviews.

It also poses new challenges as the company learns how to maintain a fleet and quickly fix unexpected problems without holding up a busy schedule of astronaut missions.

We are finishing our final (capsule), but we still are manufacturing components, because we’ll be refurbishing, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told Reuters, confirming the plan to end Crew Dragon manufacturing.

She added that SpaceX would retain the capability to build more capsules if a need arises in the future, but contended that “fleet management is key.