SpaceX, a private space agency owned by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, recently unveiled its new Dragon V2 spacecraft. This re-usable craft could replace Russian Soyuz rockets for sending American astronauts into orbit. Musk headed the official first showing for the vehicle this week. The event included flashing lights and fog.
The Dragon V2 will be able to bring up to seven astronauts to and from orbit. That is the same maximum capacity of the retired Space Shuttle. The sleek-looking silver craft can easily couple to the space station, without the use of the station's robotic arm.
Landing is carried out vertically, as the spacecraft touches down with retrorockets, looking like a scene from a science-fiction movie. This is accomplished using a series of rocket engines that each produce over 15,700 pounds of force.
SpaceX currently operates the original Dragon spacecraft, ferrying supplies and experiments to and from the International Space Station (ISS). That model, however, is not capable of carrying a human crew.
Instead of old-fashioned wings to house solar cells, these panels will be built into the side of the vehicle. Astronauts will also be able to evacuate the V2 at any stage of the flight during an emergency. New heat shield designs means the craft will be simple to maintain between flights, making turnaround to the next mission faster and cheaper than previously possible.
The Russian government has announced it will end support for the space station, which they say has outlived its usefulness. The announcement came during a series of new sanctions between Washington and Moscow over the Ukrainian Crisis. SpaceX is on schedule for a maiden flight in 2017.
"SpaceX is one of NASA's commercial partners working to develop a new generation of U.S. spacecraft and rockets capable of transporting humans to and from Earth's orbit from American soil. Ultimately, NASA intends to use such commercial systems to fly U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station," NASA officials wrote in a press release announcing the first showing of the Dragon V2.
Although humans will not be able to ride in the V2 until 2017, a group of mice will make the journey to orbit on the next Dragon launch to the International Space Station. This will mark the first time mammals have been carried to space by the privately-owned company.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced plans to send a human crew to Mars sometime in the 2030. A thriving private space industry is an essential part of the national space agency's plans to make that happen.
