SpaceX Unveils Crew Dragon Interior

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2015/09/10/spacex-unveils-crew-dragon-interior/

by Anchor • 11 years ago

84 52 11 years ago

blogs.nasa.gov

rbanffy2• 11 years ago

Really nice interior. Now they need it padded, the LCDs must be square and the on-board computer must sound like Douglas Rain. Maybe he's still available for the job. And the spacesuits need to be more colorful.

mrfusion• 11 years ago

I find it hard to get a sense of the size of it? Is it basically like sitting a van, or can you move around and do things?

Could you really spend months in this going to Mars? Or even multiple days going to the moon?

aplummer2• 11 years ago

There would be a life support module behind this though right? They don't sit in the take off / landing part on a trip to the moon.

JulianMorrison2• 11 years ago

Dragon isn't going to the moon. It's going to the ISS.

For the Moon or Mars, presumably they put a bigger capsule on a Falcon Heavy, or even something larger than that. (Falcon Venti?)

agildehaus• 11 years ago

This video should help you get a better sense of scale:

https://youtu.be/-DYQmvfThnA?t=12m46s

rbanffy2• 11 years ago

Multiple days to the Moon seems doable (it was done in Apollo and that was a smaller craft). For a trip to Mars, the Dragon would probably be used as a shuttle for a larger spacecraft where the astronauts would live for the duration of the trip. AFAIK, the biggest problem with the Dragon flying to the Moon and Mars is that it's not shielded enough to keep a crew safe in trips much beyond LEO.

ceejayoz4• 11 years ago

Could you really spend months in this going to Mars? Or even multiple days going to the moon?

Moon'd be fine - chances are they'd only have 3-4 crew for additional space for supplies/movement, and possibly some sort of additional living space like Apollo had.

Mars would probably involve Dragon linking up with a larger ship like an Aldrin cycler. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_cycler

smackfu• 11 years ago

I guess this is a more real version of what they announced in May 2014: http://www.spacex.com/media-gallery/detail/100831/3261

frede2• 11 years ago

I wonder if flat buttons are a good idea. On top of a vibrating rocket I'd prefer buttons where I can feel their outline with my finger tips. The labels seem light gray, a less elegant but better visible writing might be better suited here, too.

coldpie• 11 years ago

I saw those and my blood boiled. I find these stupid fucking non-buttons impossible to use in my living room. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to have zero tactile feedback on a rocket ship. "Oops, I brushed my finger lightly against the ROCKET SHIP IS ON FIRE button and filled the ship with foam, sorry mission control."

Obviously they're smarter than that, but damn do I hate those "buttons".

ceejayoz4• 11 years ago

On top of a vibrating rocket I'd prefer buttons where I can feel their outline with my finger tips.

Dragon is entirely computer controlled during the times the rocket'd be vibrating. Other than a "oh shit, fire the crew escape rocket" button you're not going to be pressing anything during ascent or landing.

protomyth2• 11 years ago

I'm pretty sure NASA told Neil Armstrong the same thing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

cfontes2• 11 years ago

They have what they call "the important ones" as real buttons, you can see it in the video

terryf• 11 years ago

The last image shows flat buttons and one of them says "DEORBIT NOW" I am not an astronaut, but it sounds kind of important to me.

frede2• 11 years ago

Aside from the big dial under the flat screen even the dedicated buttons are flat.

Kiro• 11 years ago

Where's the video? Is it supposed to be after the images? There's a big blank space there for me.

tkahnoski• 11 years ago

Something else to consider is the amount of force required to press the buttons while in zero-g. Astronauts currently have to anchor themselves so a button press doesnt launch you in the opposite direction.

Now I'm wondering how well typing on a keyboard works in space...

jonnycowboy• 11 years ago

I work in commercial aerospace (OEM) - flat buttons and touchscreen displays are not permitted, physical switches are required for exactly the reasons you described, in addition to smoke procedures which must be done "blind".

bsaul• 11 years ago

Wonder if they're planning on serving sushis during the trip.

zamalek• 11 years ago

Interesting how we're potentially moving one step closer to how scifi envisioned as spacecraft interiors. For some unexplainable, and likely incorrect, reason this gives me hope that we are moving toward a space-faring civilization.

As for the scale of the compartments, extrapolate from the size of the chairs. It's pretty small.

cfontes2• 11 years ago

I guess something close to James S.A. Corey "Expanse series". Living in asteroids and some moons. (forget the magic worm hole)

SEJeff• 11 years ago

Or on giant Orbitals like Ian M Banks's Culture civilizations (Musk named the two drone ships after Culture General System Vehicles from the Book "The Player of Games").

skrause• 11 years ago

Interesting how we're potentially moving one step closer to how scifi envisioned as spacecraft interiors.

That's most likely because the interior designers were just influenced by the scifi visions.

LesZedCB• 11 years ago

Art reflects life reflects art.

keenerd• 11 years ago

As for the scale of the compartments, extrapolate from the size of the chairs. It's pretty small.

I got the exact opposite impression. It might be small compared to a mcmansion kitchen but it is HUGE compared to historic or even contemporary spacecraft. Way more spacious than the Shuttle cockpit at least.

If you haven't been to the Air & Space Museum in DC, it is worth it just for a sense of scale on spacecraft. In particular the interior of Skylab was much more cramped than I would have guessed.

yellowbkpk• 11 years ago

All that empty space in the capsule will likely be filled with compartments for cargo, making it cramped again.

larrydag• 11 years ago

Even more so at the Natl Air & Space Musuem is look at the Mercury capsule that John Glenn used to orbit the Earth. Basically flying through space in a refrigerator.

burger_moon• 11 years ago

Those seats don't look too supportive. Are these the seats they're in during take off etc? Check out what seats look like in race cars. They're still carbon fibre and minimal but have better support than those. That edge on the seat and no support for the head/neck or backs of the legs seem like it wouldn't be a very enjoyable experience. I'm sure I'm overlooking some obvious reasons why they were designed this way so I look forward to hearing more about this project.

sideband2• 11 years ago

Maybe if it's just for ground -> ISS -> ground missions they're counting on the structure of a rigid helmet to properly support the head during acceleration. Also notice how the top of the straps, which I'd guess would mark slightly above shoulder level, are well below the top of the seat.

lighthawk• 11 years ago

swamp402• 11 years ago

Sure hope there's a Confirm popup for that CABIN DEPRESS button.

SpaceX Unveils Crew Dragon Interior

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