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SpaceX moves Dragon splash-down to Long Beach next year
The Dragon spacecraft shortly after it landed off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
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Topline:
SpaceX is moving the landing and recovery for its Dragon recovery vessel to Long Beach starting next year, according to the company.
What does this mean for Long Beach? Mayor Rex Richardson said on X the Port of Long Beach will welcome back both NASA and other private astronauts who are returning to Earth from orbit and beyond.
Excited to share a Space Beach update! Long Beach will be the new home to @SpaceX’s Dragon recovery vessel as their West Coast Recovery Operations team based out of the @portoflongbeach will welcome back both @NASA and other private astronauts who are returning to Earth from… pic.twitter.com/5G5hidM4sQ
— Office of Mayor Rex Richardson (@LongBeachMayor) July 28, 2024
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Why the move? SpaceX said the move is meant to reduce debris and “fully eliminate the risk of trunk debris landing on populated areas without increasing risk to Dragon crew or the public.”
SpaceX’s recovery operation began in 2012 on the U.S. West Coast before it moved to its East Coast location in 2019, according to the company.
The city of Long Beach and SpaceX did not immediately respond for comment.
What is the Dragon? SpaceX developed the Dragon spacecraft to transport cargo and crew to the International Space Station, other locations in the Earth’s orbit and beyond. The Dragon is frequently used in collaboration with NASA for space-related missions and currently drops into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
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