Isn’t it pretty?
This is just the pressure module, really. NASA has to build the ship up around it. The first unmanned test flights will be in 2014. Manned flights won’t really happen until 2021.
Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful thing to see. Especially in light of the recent success of private spaceflight, government research is all the more important. They can do the science and the rest of us can mine the asteroids.
Either way, it’s still nice to see that even if the dream is delayed, NASA is still reaching for the stars.
image courtesy NASA