What two distinct performance tests did the CFT sequence separate by returning *Calypso* uncrewed?
Life support and docking systems versus unassisted deorbit and reentry systems.
The configuration of the CFT, where the capsule returned empty, served a distinct analytical purpose by intentionally separating two major components of the human-rated vehicle certification process. First, the successful operation with the crew aboard tested the integrity of the life support and docking systems. Second, by returning the vehicle uncrewed after it had sustained operational stress in orbit, the mission provided a rigorous performance test of the unassisted deorbit and reentry systems. Demonstrating that the vehicle can land itself safely without crew input is fundamental, and providing this data under post-flight-anomaly conditions is considered a more rigorous test than a standard, nominal uncrewed demonstration flight.
