SpaceX will no longer develop new Crew Dragon capsules

SpaceX will no longer build new Crew Dragon capsules to transport astronauts. The company continues to use old capsules, but plans to switch to the newer Starship capsules in the future.

SpaceX currently has three Crew Dragon capsules. A fourth is still in the works. Reuters writes that the company will not make any more after that. Those capsules are reusable. SpaceX will also continue to reuse it for new flights. That’s why the company continues to make new parts for the Crew Dragon. The company will also keep the production line for the Crew Dragon so that it can still make new capsules in the future, although that is no longer planned.

Several more flights are planned for the Crew Dragon to take astronauts into space. So far there have been five missions. NASA is the most important customer: the space agency has already purchased six flights to the ISS and later added three more since Boeing’s Starliner capsules were delayed.

Despite the success of the Crew Dragon, SpaceX wants to bet on the new Starship rocket in the future. CEO Elon Musk previously said that SpaceX is aiming for a first operational flight in May. It is expected to take a while before Starship can take over the function of the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon.