Ride to orbit aboard SpaceX's Dragon capsule (photos)

by CNET News.com  |  March 20, 2012, 5:00pm PDT  |  Image 3 of 7

SpaceX and NASA conducted a review of the Dragon crew vehicle layout using the Dragon engineering model equipped with seats and representations of crew systems.

Last week, SpaceX announced that it is preparing for an April 30 launch of a mission dubbed COTS 2/3, with plans for docking with the International Space Station on May 3. SpaceX has already contracted two cargo missions for this year, the first of which is tentatively scheduled for July.

There are 16 flights scheduled through 2015, but the upcoming COTS 2/3 mission to the International Space Station will show whether the company has the backbone to support commercial space missions going forward.

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