Billionaire Elon Musk revealed Thursday a new state-of-the-art spacecraft that will carry NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
“SpaceX’s new Dragon V2 spacecraft is a next generation spacecraft designed to carry astronauts into space,” said SpaceX in an official statement.
NASA has been relying on Russian spacecraft to get American astronauts to and from the space station since the agency retired its shuttle fleet in 2011. Russian flights, however, come at a hefty price: more than $70 million per seat. SpaceX hopes that its latest project, Dragon V2, will be the first commercial crew capsule to carry U.S. and partner astronauts to and from the space station, limiting American reliance on Russia.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Exclusive: The Making of the U.S. Military's New Stealth Bomber
- Your Next House Could Be Made on an Assembly Line
- The Legal Implications of the Debate Over Whether 'Extreme Racism' Is a Mental Illness
- Why European Countries Are Giving Teens Free Money To Spend on Books, Music, and Theater
- Republican Skepticism of Trump Has Never Been Higher
- Column: The U.S. Prison System Doesn't Value True Justice
- How Green Is the Qatar World Cup’s Outdoor AC?
- 16 Funny and Whimsical White Elephant Gifts Under $25
- The 5 Best New TV Shows Our Critic Watched in November 2022
