Manned Version Of The Spacecraft Will Carry A Crew Of Seven

SpaceX Founder Elon Musk Thursday night dropped the curtain on the company's manned version of the Dragon Spacecraft.

The Dragon V2 is designed to ferry astronauts between Earth and the International Space Station (ISS). It is based on the Dragon cargo spacecraft that has made three successful trips to ISS. "We wanted to create something that was a step change," Musk said at the event held at the company's Hawthorne, CA headquarters. SpaceX webcast the unveiling live.

The presentation included an animated video showing the Dragon V2 traveling to ISS, docking with the station, and returning to Earth not under a parachute, but rather using the SuperDraco thrusters developed for its emergency escape system. The thrusters are also intended to allow the spacecraft to make a propulsive landing either on Earth, the Moon, or another body.

The audience and those watching online also got a look at the interior of the Dragon V2, with seven seats and a control panel looking like something out of a science fiction movie.

Musk said the V2 would be able to land anywhere on Earth with the accuracy of a helicopter. "It's a big leap forward in technology," said Musk. "It really takes things to the next level."

NASA hopes to have the private companies carrying astronauts to ISS by 2017. Boeing's CTS-100 and Sierra Nevada Corps Dream Chaser are also being developed as part of the Commercial Crew program.

(Images captured from SpaceX webcast)

FMI: www.spacex.com