To much pomp and circumstance, SpaceX founder Elon Musk unveiled the latest iteration of his Dragon spacecraft, the Dragon V2, which has been specially designed to carry up to seven astronauts (four seated in the front, three in the back) into space.
As you can tell, the interior’s not yet complete. The picture above is simply the bare bones structure of the machine, which is expected to see additional computer components, padding, and insulation added as the spacecraft is further developed.
There are some interesting facts worth noting about the Dragon V2. For one, it has specially designed thrusters and retractable legs that allow it to soft-land on any runway in the world, with the accuracy of a helicopter.
According to Musk, the machine can be refueled following a landing, and then re-launched again right away without having to replace any parts whatsoever. It features several durable components to it, most notably a third generation heat shield which, according to the company, can survive multiple entry attempts before needing to be replaced.
Also, while the Dragon V1 featured solar panels that were deployed separate from the spacecraft . . .
. . . the dragon V2 will have them affixed to the skin of the trunk instead. No exact reason was given for this decision.
Speaking of the Dragon V1, this spacecraft has already been used to bring supplies to the International Space Station. It passed this test with flying colors, which in all likelihood is why SpaceX opted to go with, more or less, the same design for this new spacecraft.
Below, an artist’s rendering show the Dragon V2 docking with the ISS with its nose cone opening.
Flight animation of SpaceX Dragon V2 below:
Via spacex.com
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