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PurposeThe X-38 is going to be a return vehicle for the International Space Station [ISS]. It will also be a lifeboat for the ISS. Someday the X-38 could take astronauts to the moon or other places. The current CRV for the ISS is the Russian Soyoz that can hold 3 people, so only 3 people can go to the station at one time. With the X-38, 7 people can go to the ISS at a time. They will only put astronauts on the ISS equal to the number of people that can fit in the CRV. It is important that all the astronauts and cosmonauts can return to Earth safely if there is an emergency.
How It LandsThe X-38 lands a little differently than other spacecraft. Instead of rolling to a stop, the X-38 skids to a stop. It also uses a parachute to slow it down. The crew inside does not land the X-38. Mission Control lands it through a computer. It is designed to handle medical emergencies so it can return to Earth automatically if the crewmembers are injured and unable to fly it.
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The new millennium spacecraft is the X-38. It looks like a cross between a
bathtub and an arrowhead. The craft is 28.5 feet long and 14.5 feet wide. It
will be the first new spacecraft in 20 years designed to bring humans back from
space [crew return vehicle or CRV]. The X-38 is cheap and was built for only $90
million, much less than the 
