this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2025
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More details on the 'boost kit' for CRS-33 (spaceflightnow.com)
submitted 1 month ago by ptfrd@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
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Sarah Walker, SpaceX’s director of Dragon Mission Management, said because the Draco thrusters on the capsule aren’t oriented optimally to perform a booster maneuver, SpaceX needed to design a new boost kit that would live in the unpressurized trunk.

She said SpaceX added some new attach points to the inside of the trunk in order to mount the propulsion system, which will be on all future trunks. Walker said the propellant tanks were used during the launch abort tests performed with Dragon in 2020 and the Draco engines were flown on the Crew-8 mission.

“Those are all mounted to this cargo rack assembly that we would normally mount unpressurized payloads to. We specifically added six propellant tanks, one pressurant tank, two Draco engines and a new heater and and insulation system to address the thermal considerations when these engines are firing for prolonged periods of time,” Walker said.

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[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

On CRS-33, Dragon will have essentially a whole extra propulsion system added to what was designed to be a cargo carrying area, which will be tested in space for the first time next month while attached to a $150 billion space station with 7 people on board! 😓

Dragon has boosted the ISS once before, during CRS-31, I believe. But that was just with its existing propulsion system. The new Frankenstein trunk has been tested on the ground, and that’s considered sufficient, apparently!

Does adding a second set of Draco thrusters in the trunk pose a significant risk? Reboosts are generally pretty gentle, and the ISS survived the Nauka module initiating an unscheduled somersault shortly after docking.

[–] burble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 month ago

It should be nice and gentle, and the Dracos have tons of heritage, but there's still some risk from the new configuration and new plumbing.

Plus, they have to flip the ISS so the forward docking adapter with this Dragon points aft. That's one of the downsides of any reboosts from the US segment, including by Cygnus and Starliner.