SpaceX CEO Musk Says SpaceX 'Admires' Russian Rocket, Spacecraft Technologies

Elon Musk, the CEO of private US aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, praised Russian spacecraft technologies on Saturday, as a response to Russian state space corporation Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin's congratulation on successful test of SpaceX's unmanned spacecraft Dragon 2

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th March, 2019) Elon Musk, the CEO of private US aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, praised Russian spacecraft technologies on Saturday, as a response to Russian state space corporation Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin's congratulation on successful test of SpaceX's unmanned spacecraft Dragon 2.

Dragon 2, also known as Crew Dragon, embarked on its first unmanned test mission to the International Space Station (ISS) at 7:49 GMT on Friday aboard the Falcon 9 rocket. At 13:45 GMT on Friday, it successfully landed in the Atlantic Ocean after departing from the ISS in an automated regime. Rogozin congratulated NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Musk on Dragon 2's successful landing late on Friday.

"Thank you on behalf of SpaceX! We have always admired your rocket/spacecraft technology," Musk responded to Rogozin's tweet.

Also on Saturday, Musk praised Russia-made rocket engines NK-33 and RD-170 and RD-180 as "exceptional," while on Thursday he called Russia's rocket engineering "excellent" and praised the country's rocket engines as the best currently flying.

Dragon 2 is a reusable spacecraft designed as a successor to the Dragon space freighter. Its manned mission is expected to take place in July and will allow NASA, if successful, to certify the new spacecraft for regular flights to the space station.