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This Is What Will Be Taking Astronauts To Space In The Near Future

This Is What Will Be Taking Astronauts To Space In The Near Future

This Is What Will Be Taking Astronauts To Space In The Near Future
Danielle de Wolfe
11 September 2015

When man landed on the Moon, we did so in a steel box with an interior looking like an overcomplicated switchboard. It had more buttons than you've had hot meals.

Seriously. This is the interior of the command module of the Apollo 11 from 1966. The only surfaces not covered in things to move or press are the seats.

It looks like an archaic mess compared to what the next generation of astronauts will be using.

Well now SpaceX has revealed the inside of its new Crew Dragon capsule - a craft that will be taking crew to and from the International Space Station - and no, it's not been stolen from the set of J.J. Abrams' next Star Trek film.

From touch panel screens to minimalist button configurations, it looks like something that even we would be able to operate (please, NASA? Please?).

The first manned test flights of the Crew Dragon are expected to take place in the next two to three years, with SpaceX developing the craft for NASA as part of the Commercial Crew Program that will also see Boeing create craft to take astronauts to the ISS.

Check out the pictures below to see the interior in further detail - bucket seats and all.

Crew Dragon

Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) that provides a comfortable and safe environment for crew members. During their trip, astronauts on-board can set the spacecraft’s interior temperature to between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.


Crew Dragon

Crew Dragon features an advanced emergency escape system (which was tested earlier this year) to swiftly carry astronauts to safety if something were to go wrong, experiencing about the same G-force as a ride at Disneyland.


Crew Dragon

The craft will be a fully autonomous spacecraft that can also be monitored and controlled by on board astronauts and SpaceX mission control.


Crew Dragon

These displays will provide real-time information on the state of the spacecraft’s capabilities – anything from Dragon’s position in space, to possible destinations, to the environment on board.


Crew Dragon

With four windows, passengers can take in views of Earth, the Moon, and the wider Solar System right from their seats, which are made from the highest-grade carbon fiber and Alcantara cloth.