Dragon Spacecraft Development and Reusability Focus. Eric Berger explains that SpaceX needed NASA contracts to fund its Mars ambition. NASA provided critical funding in 2006 and 2009 for the Dragon spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, replacing retiring vehicles like the Space Shuttle. Dragon was designed for recoverability and reuse, incorporating propulsion into the capsule itself, which increased complexity. Under pressure from Musk's impatience, SpaceX combined two critical test missions, C2 and C3, in 2012, ultimately succeeding due to a brave decision by a NASA flight director to allow on-the-spot software changes. Guest: Eric Berger.