Elon Musk unveiled SpaceX’s first manned commercial spacecraft today — and it looks like the future. The Dragon V2 is an upgrade from the first commercial spacecraft to bring cargo to the International Space Station. In addition to manned flight, it has a few big aims.
First and foremost, it’s cheaper. The rocket is designed to touch down “anywhere in the world.” Musk says there shouldn’t be a need to toss away rockets after each use like a Q-Tip. “If aircraft were thrown out after each flight, no one would be able to fly”.
The design looks like something out of a movie. Musk says the cockpit designers went for “something very clean, something very simple”. The control panel flips down like a car visor, and all of the emergency buttons are within arm’s reach.
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Here’s a video mockup of what the undocking and landing will look like (starts at 4:14). Or, feel free can watch Musk’s presentation yourself. Geek out as needed.
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