Science and TechSpace

Actions

Apollo's Command Module Vs. Crew Dragon, By The Numbers

The closest thing to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon we’ve ever put in space is the Apollo crew module. What does 40 years of capsule improvement get you?
Posted
and last updated

The closest thing to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon we’ve ever put in space is the Apollo crew module. What does 40 years of capsule improvement get you? (Video via NASA)

CREW

Apollo: 3

Crew Dragon: as many as 7 (Video via SpaceX)

 

SEATS

Apollo: Shock-mounted hollow steel and Armalon cloth

Crew Dragon: Carbon fiber and Alcantara cloth

 

CLIMATE CONTROL

Apollo: maintained at about 75F

Crew Dragon: 65-80F, crew-adjustable (Video via NASA)

 

ABORT CAPABILITY

Apollo: 200,000 pounds of thrust, until abort rockets are jettisoned at 295,000 feet

Crew Dragon: 120,000 pounds of thrust, any time (Video via NASASpaceX)

 

REENTRY FORCE

Apollo: one flight got up to 7.19 Gs

Crew Dragon: 3.5 Gs (Video via NASASpaceX)

 

LANDING

Apollo: Parachute-assisted splashdown

Dragon: Propulsive touchdown, with parachute backups (Video via NASASpaceX)

 

TIMELINE

Apollo: Last flight was during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975

Crew Dragon: First manned mission planned for December 2016

 

This video includes images from NASA and SpaceX.