Dragon 2 Grand-Reveal Premonition/Prediction For-The-Record Thread (Single Post)

[rcoppola]

Dragon 2 will fly with an extended trunk. This trunk...:

-Will be dropped off to the parking orbit of the second stage post ISS Dragon 2 undocking
-2nd stage will reacquire the trunk
-Trunk will deploy an inflatable heat-shield
-All pieces returned (No solar panels)

Dragon 2 will absolutely have legs

Elon will place this sign next to the Dragon 2...

[JasonAW3]

Dragon 2 will fly with an extended trunk. This trunk...:

-Will be dropped off to the parking orbit of the second stage post ISS Dragon 2 undocking
-2nd stage will reacquire the trunk
-Trunk will deploy an inflatable heat-shield
-All pieces returned (No solar panels)

Dragon 2 will absolutely have legs

Elon will place this sign next to the Dragon 2...

Ok, I wouldn't be at ALL suprised if he does put that sign on his capsules!

[ChefPat]

It's going to look like a real Space Ship!!!

[GBpatsfan]

I for one predict that the capsule won't be outfitted in any near-flight-like configuration on the inside, while the exterior will look like the wind tunnel test object and the trunk will be more utilized and heftier.

Also, how cool is it that this is literally the reveal of a new spaceship!!! 

[billh]

My best guess:

[QuantumG]

I look forward to seeing all the magic pixie dust that Elon said wasn't necessary back in 2010.

[sanman]

It will exude an aura of efficiency and pragmatic design

[mr. mark]

My best guess is that Dragon will have a CB radio to talk to truckers while in orbit.

[DJPledger]

I predict that Dragon Mk2 will look similar to the mockup of the crew Dragon that was publicly released a while back with the Super Draco "noses".

Perhaps a Dragon 2 party thread should be set up and move all the daft Dragon 2 predictions over there.

[Joel]

First flight vehicle to be named "SS Heart of Gold". It will feature a shipboard computer named "Eddie" and a "Nutrimatic Drinks Dispenser". Sadly, no Infinite Improbability Drive on the horizon.

[Sean Lynch]

My best guess:

Why would SpaceX choose to copy the design for Orion?

[Stellvia]

Given the paired SuperDraco modules on the windtunnel test article, and the stubby wings/fins on the trunk, it will look like the illegitimate offspring of an X-Wing and a Babylon 5 Star Fury. George Lucas will sue for custody.

[MP99]

Trunk carried through initial phase of abort (for the fins) , then discarded.

Trunk discarded before reentry, as current Dragon.

But, the BLEO version will carry a 3D printer, so that vacuum-optimised nozzles can be added to the SDs once Dragon reaches orbit.

Cheers, Martin

[RedSky]

Fins! It's gotta have fins:

[kerlc]

Dragon 2.0 will be propelled by Orion Nuclear Pulse Engine. 

Edit: removed the hyperlink, clarified.

[dkanen]

Come on lets go all the way for the Wave Motion Engine, imported from Iscandar courtesy of Queen Starsha.

[Dave G]

integrated trunk w/ heat shield
side mounted landing legs
super draco nostrils
taller capsule
wider trunk

Interesting.  So the trunk would have some type of door?

[hrissan]

------normal guesses------
Module approach - interchangeable docking/berthing adapter, trunk with and without solar cells, cabin with zero seats (cargo only), 4 sears (crew + cargo) or 7 seats (cargo only).
Trunk with fins for stability during abort.
SDs will be mounted at 20 degrees angle to vertical.
There are 4 independent sets of fuel/oxydizer/heloum tanks, and each set feeds a quad of dracos plus opposite pair of SDs.
Nominal landing with <50% of maximum SD thrust, allows two pairs of SDs or two sets of tanks to fail and still land safely.
Landing burn starts high enough to deploy a parachute in case of propulsion or computer failure.
Just 1 working pair of SDs is enough for completely soft landing under parachute, and in case of total SD failure there is a crumple zone in the bottom of the capsule (5-star safety rating, like Tesla)
Legs are longer and sturdier than expected
Trunk is still jettisonned after deorbit burn.
After an abort enough fuel is left for soft landing on the land under parachute.
No GNC door - equipment is mounted under nose cone.
------wild guesses---------
Much larger windows and more of them.
3 segments of heatshield swivel outwards and become legs.
Nose cone halves open once on orbit and close before deorbiting. If fail to open or close they are jettisoned.
------crazy------
Dragon fuel tanks are large enough for Dragon to work as a moon ascent vehicle (with crew of 2) if fully fuelled. Landing will be with special trunk containing legs and 10-15 tons of additional fuel for SDs, most of this trunk will be left on the moon. "Different world - same capsule". "Fuel is cheap". The thing is launched on Falcon Heavy of course, will be developed "if market demands".

[sugmullun]

I imagine an almost independent trunk, with different configurations for different missions.
Reentries being separate, the trunk ending with parachutes(steerable?), and possibly something else
during the last seconds.
edit: ies

[Garrett]

Dragon Mk II (i.e. version for very near-term crew flights)
 - no legs
 - lands with parachutes and superdracos à la Soyuz, though somewhat less of a hard bump
 - lots and lots of blue led lighting

All the other crazy stuff (legs, integrated trunk, precision landing) will be for an upgraded Mk II after DragonFly program is complete, i.e. a Dragon V2.1

I'm really curious about where they're gonna land this thing? White Sands?