Comparing Dragon V2 with other Space Capsules

[Raj2014]

Hello everyone, I want to compare the Dragon V2 with the other space capsules that have been built and being built now. I have looked on google for the measurements of Dragon V2 but I cannot find it. Out of all the space capsules that have been built which is the widest and tallest? The Orion spacecraft has a diameter of 5 meters, from what I have read NASA said it is the biggest space capsule and has the widest heat shield. Here is a link of measurements on spacecraft being built and tested. http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/31/nasa-commercial-space-program/     

[Roy_H]

Isn't this already discussed here? http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=34873.0

Another interesting site is http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/document_library.html#.U7CWlbHafIU
where you can read about the progress of the 3 commercial crew companies.

The CST-100, Dream Chaser, and Dragon are all designed to carry a maximum of 7 people because that was mandated by NASA so that all 7 members of the ISS could be evacuated at once if required. But there's only 6 you say... The station is designed for 7, but won't be staffed with 7 until one of these craft is certified. Anyhow, that's why they are all about the same size.

[Raj2014]

Isn't this already discussed here? http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=34873.0

Another interesting site is http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/document_library.html#.U7CWlbHafIU
where you can read about the progress of the 3 commercial crew companies.

The CST-100, Dream Chaser, and Dragon are all designed to carry a maximum of 7 people because that was mandated by NASA so that all 7 members of the ISS could be evacuated at once if required. But there's only 6 you say... The station is designed for 7, but won't be staffed with 7 until one of these craft is certified. Anyhow, that's why they are all about the same size.

Thank you for your reply Roy_h, yes I have looked and posted in that forum but no one has answered and it is more focused on CST-100, Dream chaser and Dragon V2. Also the commercial crew spacecrafts are not all the same size.  The Dream Chaser is longer and wider than the space capsules being built, also I know about the the Dream Chaser, Dragon V2 and CST-100 that is also designed for LEO. The Orion space capsule has a diameter of 5 meters, 5.02/5.03 to be exact from the base of the crew module, the CST - 100 has a diameter of 4.56 meters. I have looked on google, yahoo and bing search websites but none of them have the information. The Dragon V1 has a diameter of 3.5/3.6/3.7 and a height of 3.3 meters without the cone and trunk, with the trunk it is 6.2 meters in height, do not know if this includes the nose cone. Space.com says the Dragon capsule with the trunk is 4.4 meters in height. So will that mean the Dragon V2 is 6.2 meters in height since it has the nose cone and trunk?

[Burninate]

If what you need is a visual presentation, you can find that here - http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29407.0

The CST-100, Dream Chaser, and Dragon are all designed to carry a maximum of 7 people because that was mandated by NASA so that all 7 members of the ISS could be evacuated at once if required. But there's only 6 you say... The station is designed for 7, but won't be staffed with 7 until one of these craft is certified. Anyhow, that's why they are all about the same size.

While this is certainly a useful capability for the ISS, when I suggested this people have told me NASA specified "4 or more" passengers, serving the US Orbital Segment specifically.  The USOS program has always been designed for 4, we've only been flying 3 due to reliance on Soyuz.

Filling that extra seating space with cargo modules on commercial crew mission routine EDLs seems rather likely.

[joek]

The CST-100, Dream Chaser, and Dragon are all designed to carry a maximum of 7 people because that was mandated by NASA ...

NASA never mandated 7.

[deruch]

The CST-100, Dream Chaser, and Dragon are all designed to carry a maximum of 7 people because that was mandated by NASA ...

NASA never mandated 7.

Yeah, NASA only mandated 4.  The speculation I remember from the unveiling night was that the 7 was because the shuttle had 7 or to provide emergency evac from ISS when it has a full crew of 7.

[MP99]

The CST-100, Dream Chaser, and Dragon are all designed to carry a maximum of 7 people because that was mandated by NASA ...

NASA never mandated 7.

Yeah, NASA only mandated 4.  The speculation I remember from the unveiling night was that the 7 was because the shuttle had 7 or to provide emergency evac from ISS when it has a full crew of 7.

NASA would like to cost-share with commercial users of a CC system.

Capsule costs seem to be very weakly dependant on number of crew, so commercial users can fly six people for similar price to 3-4, giving them better bang for their buck, & maybe helping to close their cost case.

Cheers, Martin

[Raj2014]

Does anyone know what are the measurements of the Dragon V1 capsule with and without the nose cone and trunk in the metric system?

[Lar]

NASA would like to cost-share with commercial users of a CC system.

Capsule costs seem to be very weakly dependant on number of crew, so commercial users can fly six people for similar price to 3-4, giving them better bang for their buck, & maybe helping to close their cost case.

Cheers, Martin

I expected that the cost-sharing, at least initially, would be via some NASA/ISS launches and some commercial launches (thus spreading fixed costs over more flights) rather than by mixed manifest (some NASA seats, some commercial).

Mixed manifest, it seems to me, would require either a change in the visiting policy to ISS (and I thought NASA was miffed about the paying passengers Russia sent) or a destination that was co-located, or at least "close". Although I guess one could imagine some plane changes or per/aphelion changes after visiting ISS to deliver the other riders, I would expect they would not be very large... it will be interesting to see how much on-orbit deltaV is available with V2.

On-orbit deltaV would not be available for reboost (as some have advocated/speculated V2 might be able to do, somehow... Jim and others already rightly pointed out that it might not work) if used this way.

[MP99]

NASA would like to cost-share with commercial users of a CC system.

Capsule costs seem to be very weakly dependant on number of crew, so commercial users can fly six people for similar price to 3-4, giving them better bang for their buck, & maybe helping to close their cost case.

I expected that the cost-sharing, at least initially, would be via some NASA/ISS launches and some commercial launches (thus spreading fixed costs over more flights) rather than by mixed manifest (some NASA seats, some commercial).

Yup, that is what I meant.

Bigelow, for instance, has said he won't develop his stations until crew transport is available.

Cheers, Martin