SpaceX introduces Dragonlab

[ozone]

http://spacex.com/press.php?page=20081103

 

[Andy44]

Addon time...

 

[to be]

Looks like they want to get some experience in reentry. However, I am not sure 'reusable' is a good thing with what must be an ablative heat shield.

 

[Urwumpe]

Looks like they want to get some experience in reentry. However, I am not sure 'reusable' is a good thing with what must be an ablative heat shield.

Does not look automatically ablative to me. Anybody planning to write an email for more information as add-on developer? I could try to, but I doubt I would find the time making an add-on out of it.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

Sounds interesting, but I'm a bit confused here. Wouldn't Dragon itself serve basically the same purpose? From the picture, they look the same.
I think it was mentioned on their site somewhere that they used PICA, that stuff the Stardust spacecraft used and what they hope to use on the Orion.

 

[Lunar_Lander]

Could they maybe have two craft "mmeting" in orbit and having them auto-dock? Then they would have double the space for experiments and that would make it superior to, say, ESA's Foton.

 

[willy88]

I have a feeling NASA will be obsolete in two decades, at the maximum.

 

[Bj]

This picture looks like it was rendered in Orbiter.

 

[Urwumpe]

This picture looks like it was rendered in Orbiter.

Orbiter does not do ray-tracing.

 

[Arrowstar]

How is this any different from the standard Dragon spacecraft? Or is it the same vehicle with a different purpose?

 

[Urwumpe]

How is this any different from the standard Dragon spacecraft? Or is it the same vehicle with a different purpose?

Not perfectly man-rated and no life-support system.

It is basically a missing-link towards a manned capsule, which allows testing aerodynamics and guidance before you risk humans.

 

[Arrowstar]

Got it. I can certainly see the utility in that. First flight will come next year, yes? Or so the SpaceX website seems to say.