/ News

02.06.2014

SpaceX Dragon V2 can seat up to seven passengers, use thrusters to land on solid ground

SpaceX's Dragon capsule has been taking cargo to the International Space Station since 2012, but it's done so lacking the chops to shuttle humans into orbit. The firm's just unveiled the next generation of the spacecraft, dubbed Dragon V2, to remedy that, and it's designed to do much more than carry people. The new craft is reusable, can hold up to seven passengers and is designed to allow for swapping crew space for additional cargo. What's more, the vessel is able to land on solid ground with the accuracy of a helicopter -- as opposed to splashing down at sea -- without parachutes. Using eight SuperDraco thrusters, engines 3D-printed from a superalloy, the Dragon V2 can blast out enough force (16,000 lbf for each engine) to slow itself down for a landing on terra firma.

According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Dragon V2 will make its first voyage with humans by the end of 2016. In the meantime, the capsule and its engines still have to undergo more testing. Once its making regular flights, Musk expects the capsule to endure 10 launches without major refurbishing. When its past that threshold, it's likely that only its heat shield will need servicing. Presumably, once the shield is repaired, the craft can endure another 10 trips before needing another major tune-up.

In the event of an emergency during launch, Dragon V2 can use its SuperDraco engines to abort at any time during its ascent. Typically, that kind of escape option is only available during the first few minutes of flight. When it comes to mishaps while landing, Musk's new vessel can land itself even if two of its thrusters aren't operating. If an engine-driven touchdown is out of the question, the capsule can rely on parachutes to slow it down for an ocean splashdown.

So, how much will a launch for NASA or other customers cost? As low as $20 million. According to Musk, the new Dragon is part of SpaceX's goal to make spaceflight so affordable that there are hundreds -- and eventually thousands -- of craft hurtling towards space every day. If you want a private trip, you'll have to start saving pennies.

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/29/space-x-dragon-v2/




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Founded by Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov in February 2011 with the participation of leading Russian specialists in the field of neural interfaces, robotics, artificial organs and systems.

The main goals of the 2045 Initiative: the creation and realization of a new strategy for the development of humanity which meets global civilization challenges; the creation of optimale conditions promoting the spiritual enlightenment of humanity; and the realization of a new futuristic reality based on 5 principles: high spirituality, high culture, high ethics, high science and high technologies. 

The main science mega-project of the 2045 Initiative aims to create technologies enabling the transfer of a individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality. We devote particular attention to enabling the fullest possible dialogue between the world’s major spiritual traditions, science and society.

A large-scale transformation of humanity, comparable to some of the major spiritual and sci-tech revolutions in history, will require a new strategy. We believe this to be necessary to overcome existing crises, which threaten our planetary habitat and the continued existence of humanity as a species. With the 2045 Initiative, we hope to realize a new strategy for humanity's development, and in so doing, create a more productive, fulfilling, and satisfying future.

The "2045" team is working towards creating an international research center where leading scientists will be engaged in research and development in the fields of anthropomorphic robotics, living systems modeling and brain and consciousness modeling with the goal of transferring one’s individual consciousness to an artificial carrier and achieving cybernetic immortality.

An annual congress "The Global Future 2045" is organized by the Initiative to give platform for discussing mankind's evolutionary strategy based on technologies of cybernetic immortality as well as the possible impact of such technologies on global society, politics and economies of the future.

 

Future prospects of "2045" Initiative for society

2015-2020

The emergence and widespread use of affordable android "avatars" controlled by a "brain-computer" interface. Coupled with related technologies “avatars’ will give people a number of new features: ability to work in dangerous environments, perform rescue operations, travel in extreme situations etc.
Avatar components will be used in medicine for the rehabilitation of fully or partially disabled patients giving them prosthetic limbs or recover lost senses.

2020-2025

Creation of an autonomous life-support system for the human brain linked to a robot, ‘avatar’, will save people whose body is completely worn out or irreversibly damaged. Any patient with an intact brain will be able to return to a fully functioning  bodily life. Such technologies will  greatly enlarge  the possibility of hybrid bio-electronic devices, thus creating a new IT revolution and will make  all  kinds of superimpositions of electronic and biological systems possible.

2030-2035

Creation of a computer model of the brain and human consciousness  with the subsequent development of means to transfer individual consciousness  onto an artificial carrier. This development will profoundly change the world, it will not only give everyone the possibility of  cybernetic immortality but will also create a friendly artificial intelligence,  expand human capabilities  and provide opportunities for ordinary people to restore or modify their own brain multiple times.  The final result  at this stage can be a real revolution in the understanding of human nature that will completely change the human and technical prospects for humanity.

2045

This is the time when substance-independent minds will receive new bodies with capacities far exceeding those of ordinary humans. A new era for humanity will arrive!  Changes will occur in all spheres of human activity – energy generation, transportation, politics, medicine, psychology, sciences, and so on.

Today it is hard to imagine a future when bodies consisting of nanorobots  will become affordable  and capable of taking any form. It is also hard to imagine body holograms featuring controlled matter. One thing is clear however:  humanity, for the first time in its history, will make a fully managed evolutionary transition and eventually become a new species. Moreover,  prerequisites for a large-scale  expansion into outer space will be created as well.

 

Key elements of the project in the future

• International social movement
• social network immortal.me
• charitable foundation "Global Future 2045" (Foundation 2045)
• scientific research centre "Immortality"
• business incubator
• University of "Immortality"
• annual award for contribution to the realization of  the project of "Immortality”.

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