SpaceX Says No More New Crew Dragon Capsules

SpaceX has announced that it is ending production of any new Crew Dragon capsules. That capsule has been successful in carrying astronauts to and from the ISS. Rather than building any new Crew Dragon capsules, SpaceX plans to continue reusing the four capsules it already has.

SpaceX will continue to manufacture parts for the capsules to keep them operating into the future. Instead of building new Crew Dragon capsules, SpaceX is reportedly focusing on its significantly larger and more capable Starship.

SpaceX has always intended Starship to ferry astronauts into low Earth orbit and beyond. The first orbital Starship flight test is expected to happen in May. However, that could be delayed because there are regulatory approvals needed from the FAA.

Starship will be used to send astronauts to the moon and back in the future. It’s also expected to ferry humans to Mars eventually. So far, flight tests for Starship have been limited to the Earth’s atmosphere.