S8 Ep256: THE CHUTE SHOW AND THE RACE FOR COMMERCIAL CREW Colleague Eric Berger. SpaceX competed with Boeing to restore NASA's ability to launch astronauts, a program politically legitimized by Boeing's participation. Developing the Crew Dragon required rigorous te

THE CHUTE SHOW AND THE RACE FOR COMMERCIAL CREW Colleague Eric Berger. SpaceX competed with Boeing to restore NASA's ability to launch astronauts, a program politically legitimized by Boeing's participation. Developing the Crew Dragon required rigorous testing, particularly by a team nicknamed the "Chute Show" who tested parachutes in the desert. While Boeing and SpaceX faced similar challenges, SpaceX optimized its Falcon 9 Block 5 for rapid reuse, hardening parts based on lessons from previous flights. Despite the inherent risks of human spaceflight, SpaceX ultimately succeeded in flying veteran astronauts to the station, maintaining reusability as a core requirement. NUMBER 7
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