SpaceX unveiled its response to Boeing's proposed space capsule on Thursday, revealing a strong aesthetic component that rivals that of Boeing's capsule, as the companies compete to be selected by NASA later this year.
Whichever capsule wins will be used by NASA to carry people to the International Space Station, which is now dependent on Russia's Soyuz capsules.
The winning capsule will be lifted into orbit atop launch vehicles, the SpaceX Falcon 9 in the case of the SpaceX capsule, and the Atlas or possibly Delta vehicle in the case of the Boeing capsule.
The issue of finding a replacement for the Soyuz has gotten more pressing in recent months, as U.S.-Russian relations have eroded over issues with the Ukraine.
The SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule, introduced by CEO Elon Musk Thursday at the company's Hawthorne, California, headquarters, seemed to have lots of almost art deco touches.
Its interior walls were a patterned metal surface like looked like a Victorian metal ceiling, while the seats were very minimalist with tan padding.
A pilot could pull down a control panel overhead, as Musk did after he climbed inside during the display event. The portholes were large.
Do the aesthetics echo those of the Tesla Model S electric car, also created by Musk? We'll leave you to decide.
By contrast, the Boeing CST-100 capsule, unveiled April 30 in Las Vegas, is purely futuristic, with a color scheme and some design themes that seem to parallel those of the 787 Dreamliner.
Blue was the dominant color, as it is with all Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) products, and the pilot was seated above the rest of the passengers, in seats that also were minimalist with tan padding.
Steve Wilhelm covers manufacturing, aerospace and trade for the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Posted by Unknown on Friday, May 30, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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