SpaceX's Dragon capsule has been taking cargo to the International Space Station since 2012, but it's done so lacking the chops to shuttle humans into orbit. The firm's just unveiled the next generation of the spacecraft, dubbed the Dragon V2, to remedy that, and it's designed to do much more than carry people.The new craft is reusable, can hold up to seven passengers and is designed to allow for swapping crew space for additional cargo. What's more, the vessel is able to land on solid ground with the accuracy of a helicopter instead of splashing down at sea, without parachutes . Using eight SuperDraco thrusters, engines 3D-printed from a superalloy, the Dragon V2 can blast out enough force (16,000 lbf for each engine) to slow itself down for a landing on terra firma.
According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Dragon V2 will make its first voyage with humans by the end of 2016. In the meantime, the capsule and its engines still have to undergo more testing. Once its making regular flights, Musk expects the capsule to endure 10 launches without major refurbishing. When its past that threshold, it's likely only the heat shield will need servicing. Presumably, once the shield is repaired, the craft can endure another 10 trips before needing another major tune-up.
Filed under: Transportation, Science
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