Crew Dragon's primary role is to transport crews to and from the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, a task handled by the Space Shuttle until it was retired in 2011. It will be joined by Boeing's Starliner in this role when NASA certifies it. Crew Dragon is also used for commercial flights to ISS and other destinations, and is expected to be used to transport people to and from Axiom Space's planned space station.
There are two variants of Dragon 2: Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon.[4] Crew Dragon was initially called "DragonRider"[12][13] and it was intended from the beginning to support a crew of seven or a combination of crew and cargo.[14][15] Earlier spacecraft had a berthing port and were berthed to ISS by ISS personnel. Dragon 2 instead has an IDSS-compatible docking port to dock to the International Docking Adapter ports on ISS. It is able to perform fully autonomous rendezvous and docking with manual override ability.[16][17] For typical missions, Crew Dragon will remain docked to the ISS for a nominal period of 180 days, but is designed to remain on the station for up to 210 days, matching the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.[18][19][20][21][22][23]
Crew Dragon
Crew Dragon includes an integrated pusher launch escape system whose eight SuperDraco engines can pull the capsule away from the launch vehicle in an emergency. SpaceX originally intended to use the SuperDraco engines to land Crew Dragon on land; parachutes and an ocean splashdown were envisioned for use only in the case of an aborted launch. Precision water landing under parachutes was proposed to NASA as "the baseline return and recovery approach for the first few flights" of Crew Dragon.[24] However, propulsive landing was later cancelled, leaving ocean splashdown under parachutes as the only option.[25]
In 2012, SpaceX was in talks with Orbital Outfitters about developing space suits to wear during launch and re-entry.[26] Each crew member wears a custom-fitted space suit that provides cooling inside inside the Dragon (IVA type suit) but can also protect its wearer in a rapid cabin depressurization.[27][28] For the Demo-1 mission, a test dummy was fitted with the spacesuit and sensors. The spacesuit is made from Nomex, a fire-retardant fabric similar to Kevlar.
The spacecraft's design was unveiled on 29 May 2014, during a press event at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.[29][30][31] In October 2014, NASA selected the Dragon spacecraft as one of the candidates to fly American astronauts to the International Space Station, under the Commercial Crew Program.[32][33][34] In March 2022, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell told Reuters that "We are finishing our final (capsule), but we still are manufacturing components, because we'll be refurbishing".[35] SpaceX later decided to build a fifth Crew Dragon capsule, to be available by 2024.[36] SpaceX also manufactures a new expendable trunk for each flight.
SpaceX's CCtCap contract values each seat on a Crew Dragon flight to be around US$88 million,[37] while the face value of each seat has been estimated by NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) to be around US$55 million.[38][39][40] This contrasts with the 2014 Soyuz launch price of US$76 million per seat for NASA astronauts.[41]
Cargo Dragon
Dragon 2 was intended from the earliest design concept to carry crew, or with fewer seats, both crew and cargo.
The cargo version, dubbed Cargo Dragon, became a reality after 2014, when NASA sought bids on a second round of multi-year contracts to bring cargo to the ISS in 2020 through 2024. In January 2016, SpaceX won contracts for six of these flights, dubbed CRS-2.[42]As of April2024[update], Cargo Dragon has completed nine missions to and from the ISS with six more planned.
Cargo Dragons lack several features of the crewed variant, including seats, cockpit controls, astronaut life support systems, and SuperDraco abort engines.[43][44] Cargo Dragon improves on many aspects of the original Dragon design, including the recovery and refurbishment process.[45]
Since 2021, Cargo Dragon has been able to provide power to some payloads, saving space in the ISS and eliminating the time needed to move the payloads and set them up inside. This feature, announced on 29 August 2021 during the CRS-23 launch, is called Extend-the-Lab. "For CRS-23 there are 3 Extend-the-Lab payloads launching with the mission, and once docked, a 4th which is currently already on the space station will be added to Dragon".[46][47] For the first time, Dragon Cargo DragonC208 performed test reboost of the ISS via its aft-facing Draco thrusters on 8 November 2024 at 17:50 UTC.[48]
The US Deorbit Vehicle is a planned Cargo Dragon variant that will be used to deorbit the ISS and direct any remnants into the "spacecraft cemetery", a remote area of the southern Pacific Ocean.[49] The vehicle will attach to the ISS using one of the Cargo Dragon vehicles, which will be paired with a longer trunk module equipped with 46 Draco thrusters (instead of the normal 16) and will carry 30,000kg (66,000lb) of propellant, nearly six times the normal load. NASA plans to launch the deorbit vehicle in 2030 where it will remain attached, dormant, for about a year as the station's orbit naturally decays to 220km (140mi). The spacecraft is to then conduct one or more orientation burns to lower the perigee to 150km (93mi), followed by a final deorbiting burn.[50] In June 2024, NASA awarded a contract worth up to $843 million to SpaceX to build the deorbit vehicle as it works to secure funding.[51][52]
SpaceX, which aims to dramatically lower space transportation costs, designed Dragon 2 to be reused, not discarded as is typical of spacecraft. It is composed of a reusable capsule and a disposable trunk.
SpaceX and NASA initially certified the capsule to be used for five missions. As of March2024[update], they are working to certify it for up to fifteen missions.[53]
To maximize cost-effectiveness, SpaceX incorporated several innovative design choices. The Crew Dragon employs eight side-mounted SuperDraco engines for its emergency escape system, eliminating the need for a traditional, disposable escape tower. Furthermore, instead of housing the critical and expensive life support, thruster, and propellant storage systems in a disposable service module, Dragon 2 integrates them within the capsule for reuse.
Crew Dragon Resilience, with the solar panels integrated in its trunk
The trunk serves as an adapter between the capsule and the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage and also includes solar panels, a heat-dissipation radiator, and fins to provide aerodynamic stability during emergency aborts.[24] Dragon 2 integrates solar arrays directly into the trunk's structure, replacing the deployable panels of its predecessor, Dragon 1. The trunk can also accommodate unpressurized cargo, such as the Roll Out Solar Array transported to the ISS. The trunk is connected to the capsule using a fitting known as "the claw."[54]
The typical Crew Dragon mission includes four astronauts: a commander who leads the mission and has primary responsibility for operating the spacecraft, a pilot who serves as backup for both command and operations and two mission specialists who may have specific duties assigned depending on the mission. However, the Crew Dragon can fly missions with just two astronauts as needed, and in an emergency, up to seven astronauts could return to Earth from the ISS on Dragon.[5]
On the ground, crews enter the capsule through a side hatch.
Crew Dragon interior configuration showing four standard crew seats (S1-S4) and three cargo pallet locations (C5-C7)
On the Crew Dragon, above the two center seats (occupied by the commander and pilot), there is a three-screen control panel. Below the seats is the cargo pallet, where around 230 kilograms (500lb) of items can be stowed.[55] The capsule’s ceiling includes a small space toilet (with privacy curtain),[56] and an International Docking System Standard (IDSS) port. For private spaceflight missions not requiring ISS docking, the IDSS port can be replaced with a 1.2-meter (3ft 11in) domed plexiglass window offering panoramic views, similar to the ISS Cupola.[57] Additionally, SpaceX has developed a "Skywalker" hatch for missions involving extravehicular activities.[58]
The Cargo Dragon is also loaded from the side hatch and has an IDSS port on the ceiling. However, it lacks the control panels, windows, and seats of the Crew Dragon.
The spacecraft can be operated in full vacuum, and "the crew will wear SpaceX-designed space suits to protect them from a rapid cabin depressurization emergency event". The spacecraft has also been designed to be able to land safely with a leak "of up to an equivalent orifice of 6.35mm[0.25in] in diameter".[24]
The spacecraft's nose cone protects the docking port and four forward-facing thrusters during ascent and reentry. This component pivots open for in-space operations.[24][31] Dragon 2's propellant and helium pressurant for emergency abort and orbital maneuvers are stored in composite-carbon-overwrap titanium spherical tanks at the capsule's base in an area known as the service section.
For launch aborts, the capsule relies on eight SuperDraco engines arranged in four redundant pairs. Each engine generates 71kN (16,000lbf) of thrust.[29] Sixteen smaller Draco thrusters placed around the spacecraft control its attitude and perform orbital maneuvers.
Crew Dragon Freedom with its parachutes deployed
When the capsule returns to Earth, a PICA-X heat shield safeguards the capsule during reentry. Dragon 2 uses a total of six parachutes (two drogues and four mains) to decelerate after atmospheric entry and before splashdown, compared to the five used by Dragon 1.[59] The additional parachute was required by NASA as a safety measure after a Dragon 1 suffered a parachute malfunction. The company also went through two rounds of parachute development before being certified to fly with crew.[60] In 2024, the use of the SuperDraco thrusters for propulsive landing was enabled again, but only as a back-up for parachute emergencies.[61]
Crew Dragon is used by both commercial and government customers. Axiom launches commercial astronauts to the ISS and intends to eventually launch to their own private space station. NASA flights to the ISS have four astronauts, with the added payload mass and volume used to carry pressurized cargo.[59]
On 16 September 2014, NASA announced that SpaceX and Boeing had been selected to provide crew transportation to the ISS. SpaceX was to receive up to US$2.6 billion under this contract to provide development test flights and up to six operational flights.[62] Dragon was the less expensive proposal,[33] but NASA's William H. Gerstenmaier considered the Boeing Starliner proposal the stronger of the two. However, Crew Dragon's first operational flight, SpaceX Crew-1, was on 16 November 2020 after several test flights, while Starliner suffered multiple problems and delays, with its first operational flight slipping to no earlier than early 2025.[63]
In a departure from the prior NASA practice, where construction contracts with commercial firms led to direct NASA operation of the spacecraft, NASA is purchasing space transport services from SpaceX, including construction, launch, and operation of the Dragon 2.[64]
In August 2018, NASA and SpaceX agreed on the loading procedures for propellants, vehicle fluids and crew. High-pressure helium will be loaded first, followed by the passengers approximately two hours prior to the scheduled launch; the ground crew will then depart the launch pad and move to a safe distance. The launch escape system will be activated approximately 40 minutes prior to launch, with propellant loading commencing several minutes later.[65]
The first automated test mission launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on 2 March 2019.[66] After schedule slips,[67] the first crewed flight launched on 30 May 2020[68] with the launch of the Demo-2 mission.
In June 2019, Bigelow Aerospace announced it had reserved with SpaceX up to four missions of four passengers each to the ISS as early as 2020 and planned to sell them for around US$52 million per seat.[69] These plans were cancelled by September 2019.
Space Adventures contracted SpaceX for a five-day high elliptic orbitspace tourism mission with a Crew Dragon in 2022.[70][71] In October 2021, Space Adventures stated that the contract had expired and would not be executed, but left open the possibility of a partnership with SpaceX in the future.[72]
Testing
SpaceX planned a series of four flight tests for the Crew Dragon: a pad abort test, an uncrewed orbital flight to the ISS, an in-flight abort test, and finally, a crewed flight to the ISS,[73] which was initially planned for July 2019,[67] but after a Dragon capsule explosion, was delayed to May 2020.[74]
Pad abort test of a Dragon 2 article on 6 May 2015 at CCAFS, SLC-40
The pad abort test was conducted successfully on 6 May 2015 at SpaceX's leased SLC-40 launch site.[59] Dragon landed safely in the ocean to the east of the launchpad 99 seconds after ignition of the SuperDraco engines.[75] While a flight-like Dragon 2 and trunk were used for the pad abort test, they rested atop a truss structure for the test rather than a full Falcon 9 rocket. A crash test dummy embedded with a suite of sensors was placed inside the test vehicle to record acceleration loads and forces at the crew seat, while the remaining six seats were loaded with weights to simulate full-passenger-load weight.[64][76] The test objective was to demonstrate sufficient total impulse, thrust and controllability to conduct a safe pad abort. A fuel mixture ratio issue was detected after the flight in one of the eight SuperDraco engines causing it to under perform, but did not materially affect the flight.[77][78][79]
On 24 November 2015, SpaceX conducted a test of Dragon 2's hovering abilities at the firm's rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas. In a video, the spacecraft is shown suspended by a hoisting cable and igniting its SuperDraco engines to hover for about 5 seconds, balancing on its 8 engines firing at reduced thrust to compensate exactly for gravity.[80] The test vehicle was the same capsule that performed the pad abort test earlier in 2015; it was nicknamed DragonFly.[81]
Launch of Demo-1, Crew Dragon's maiden spaceflight
In 2015, NASA named its first Commercial Crew astronaut cadre of four veteran astronauts to work with SpaceX and Boeing – Robert Behnken, Eric Boe, Sunita Williams, and Douglas Hurley.[82] The Demo-1 mission completed the last milestone of the Commercial Crew Development program, paving the way to starting commercial services under an upcoming ISS Crew Transportation Services contract.[64][83] On 3 August 2018, NASA announced the crew for the DM-2 mission.[84] The crew of two consisted of NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. Behnken previously flew as mission specialist on the STS-123 and the STS-130 missions. Hurley previously flew as a pilot on the STS-127 mission and on the final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135.[85]
The first orbital test of Crew Dragon was an uncrewed mission, commonly called "Demo-1" and launched on 2 March 2019.[86][87] The spacecraft tested the approach and automated docking procedures with the ISS,[88] remained docked until 8 March 2019, then conducted the full re-entry, splashdown and recovery steps to qualify for a crewed mission.[89][90] Life-support systems were monitored for the entirety the test flight. The same capsule was planned to be re-used in June 2019 for an in-flight abort test before it exploded on 20 April 2019.[86][91]
Explosion during testing
On 20 April 2019, Crew DragonC204, the capsule used in the Demo-1 mission, was destroyed in an explosion during static fire testing at the Landing Zone 1 facility.[92][93] On the day of the explosion, the initial testing of the Crew Dragon's Draco thrusters was successful, with the anomaly occurring during the test of the SuperDraco abort system.[94]
Telemetry, high-speed camera footage, and analysis of recovered debris indicate the problem occurred when a small amount of dinitrogen tetroxide leaked into a helium line used to pressurize the propellant tanks. The leakage apparently occurred during pre-test processing. As a result, the pressurization of the system 100 ms before firing damaged a check valve and resulted in the explosion.[94][95]
SpaceX modified the Dragon 2 replacing check valves with burst discs, which are designed for single use, and the adding of flaps to each SuperDraco to seal the thrusters prior to splashdown, preventing water intrusion.[96] The SuperDraco engine test was repeated on 13 November 2019 with Crew DragonC205. The test was successful, showing that the modifications made to the vehicle were successful.[97]
Since the destroyed capsule had been slated for use in the upcoming in-flight abort test, the explosion and investigation delayed that test and the subsequent crewed orbital test.[98]
The Crew Dragon in-flight abort test was launched on 19 January 2020 at 15:30 UTC from LC-39A on a suborbital trajectory to conduct a separation and abort scenario in the troposphere at transonic velocities shortly after passing through max Q, where the vehicle experiences maximum aerodynamic pressure. The Dragon 2 used its SuperDraco abort engines to push itself away from the Falcon 9 after an intentional premature engine cutoff, after which the Falcon was destroyed by aerodynamic forces. The Dragon followed its suborbital trajectory to apogee, at which point the spacecraft's trunk was jettisoned. The smaller Draco engines were then used to orient the vehicle for the descent. All major functions were executed, including separation, engine firings, parachute deployment, and landing.
Dragon 2 splashed down at 15:38:54 UTC just off the Florida coast in the Atlantic Ocean.[99] The test objective was to demonstrate the ability to safely move away from the ascending rocket under the most challenging atmospheric conditions of the flight trajectory, imposing the worst structural stress of a real flight on the rocket and spacecraft.[59] The abort test was performed using a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket with a fully fueled second stage with a mass simulator replacing the Merlin engine.[100]
Earlier, this test had been scheduled before the uncrewed orbital test,[101] however, SpaceX and NASA considered it safer to use a flight representative capsule rather than the test article from the pad abort test.[102]
This test was previously planned to use the capsule C204 from Demo-1, however, C204 was destroyed in an explosion during a static fire testing on 20 April 2019.[103]Capsule C205, originally planned for Demo-2 was used for the In-Flight Abort Test[104] with C206 being planned for use during Demo-2. This was the final flight test of the spacecraft before it began carrying astronauts to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
Prior to the flight test, teams completed launch day procedures for the first crewed flight test, from suit-up to launch pad operations. The joint teams conducted full data reviews that needed to be completed prior to NASA astronauts flying on the system during SpaceX's Demo-2 mission.[105]
SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour as it approached the International Space Station
On 17 April 2020, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the first crewed Crew Dragon Demo-2 to the International Space Station would launch on 27 May 2020.[106] Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley crewed the mission, marking the first crewed launch to the International Space Station from U.S. soil since STS-135 in July 2011. The original launch was postponed to 30 May 2020 due to weather conditions at the launch site.[107] The second launch attempt was successful, with capsule C206, later named Endeavour by the crew, launching on 30 May 2020 19:22 UTC.[108][109] The capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station on 31 May 2020 at 14:27 UTC.[110][111][112] On 2 August 2020, Crew Dragon undocked and splashed-down successfully in the Atlantic Ocean. Launching in the Dragon 2 spacecraft was described by astronaut Bob Behnken as "smooth off the pad" but "we were definitely driving and riding a dragon all the way up ... a little bit less g's [than the Space Shuttle] but more 'alive' is probably the best way I would describe it".[113]
Endeavour capsule being recovered after splashdown
Regarding descent in the spacecraft, Behnken stated, "Once we descended a little bit into the atmosphere, Dragon really came alive. It started to fire thrusters and keep us pointed in the appropriate direction. The atmosphere starts to make noise—you can hear that rumble outside the vehicle. And as the vehicle tries to control, you feel a little bit of that shimmy in your body. ... We could feel those small rolls and pitches and yaws—all those little motions were things we picked up on inside the vehicle. ... All the separation events, from the trunk separation through the parachute firings, were very much like getting hit in the back of the chair with a baseball bat ... pretty light for the trunk separation but with the parachutes it was a pretty significant jolt".[114]
First flew on Crew-1 on 16 November 2020.[120] Used for Inspiration4, featuring the largest window ever flown in space in place of the docking adapter.[121] It also flew on the Polaris Dawn mission, which involved the first private EVA. Scheduled to fly Fram2.
List includes only completed or currently manifested missions. Dates are listed in UTC, and for future events, they are the earliest possible opportunities (also known as NET dates) and may change.
Simulating an escape from a rocket failure on the ground, Crew Dragon's SuperDraco engines lifted the capsule from a ground pad at SLC-40 and propelled it to a safe splashdown in the nearby ocean.
Booster was commanded to simulate an in-flight engine failure. In response, Crew Dragon's SuperDraco engines fired successfully, propelling the capsule away to a safe splashdown.
First crewed flight test of Dragon 2. The mission was extended from two weeks to nine, to allow the crew to bolster activity on the ISS ahead of Crew-1.
First operational Commercial Crew flight, flying four astronauts to the ISS for a six-month mission. Broke the record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crew vehicle, previously held by the Skylab 4 mission.[127]
First reuse of a capsule and booster rocket. Crew includes the first ESA astronaut to fly on Crew Dragon. After spending almost 200 days in orbit, the Crew Dragon Endeavour set the record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crew vehicle previously set by her sibling Crew Dragon Resilience on May 2, 2021.[128]
The first fully private, all-civilian orbital flight. Crew reached a 585km (364mi) orbit and conducted science experiments and public outreach activities for three days.[131] First standalone orbital Crew Dragon flight and the first flight with the cupola.
First crew to include a Russian cosmonaut as part of Dragon–Soyuz swap flights to ensure that all countries are familiar with their separate systems if either vehicle is grounded for an extended period.[132]
Fully private flight to the ISS. Contracted by Axiom Space. Axiom employee served as commander, Saudi Space Agency bought two seats and sent two astronauts to research cancer, cloud seeding, and microgravity.[133] Third seat purchased by a tourist.
Fully private orbital flight, including two SpaceX employees. First of three planned flights of the private Polaris Program. Flew 1,400km (870mi) away from Earth, the highest orbit of the planet flown by a crewed spacecraft to date. Isaacman and Gillis made the first commercial spacewalk during the mission.[135]
First SpaceX mission performed under the CRS-2 contract with NASA and the first flight of Cargo Dragon 2. Also delivered the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock module.
Also delivered solar arrays iROSA 5 and iROSA 6.[148] With this mission, Dragon 2 fleet's 1,324 days in orbit surpassed the Space Shuttle. This was the 38th Dragon mission to ISS, surpassing the Shuttle's 37.[149]
Private spaceflight– Spaceflight technology development not paid for by a government agency
Notes
↑ The reentry capsule weighs 9,600kg (21,200lb) including crew + 150kg (330lb) payload (Crew Dragon Demo-2)
↑ up to 2,507kg (5,527lb) pressurized and up to 800kg (1,800lb) unpressurized
↑ McArthur used the same seat of the Crew Dragon Endeavour in this mission which her husband, Bob Behnken, used in the earlier SpaceX Demo-2 mission.[129]
↑ The European Portion of SpaceX Crew-2 is called Mission Alpha, which is headed by Thomas Pesquet.[130]
↑ The European Portion of SpaceX Crew-3 is called Mission Cosmic Kiss, which is headed by Matthias Maurer shown by the logo
Human spaceflight programs have been conducted, started, or planned by multiple countries and companies. Until the 21st century, human spaceflight programs were sponsored exclusively by governments, through either the military or civilian space agencies. With the launch of the privately funded SpaceShipOne in 2004, a new category of human spaceflight programs – commercial human spaceflight – arrived. By the end of 2022, three countries and one private company (SpaceX) had successfully launched humans to Earth orbit, and two private companies had launched humans on a suborbital trajectory.
Dragon is a family of spacecraft developed and produced by American private space transportation company SpaceX.
Reusable spacecraft are spacecraft capable of repeated launch, atmospheric reentry, and landing or splashdown. This contrasts with expendable spacecraft which are designed to be discarded after use, although many partially reusable spacecraft discard some kind of expendable module before reentry and recovery.
The Boeing Starliner is a spacecraft designed to transport crew to and from the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth-orbit destinations. Developed by Boeing under NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP), it consists of a reusable crew capsule and an expendable service module.
Development of the Commercial Crew Program (CCDev) began in the second round of the program, which was rescoped from a smaller technology development program for human spaceflight to a competitive development program that would produce the spacecraft to be used to provide crew transportation services to and from the International Space Station (ISS). To implement the program, NASA awarded a series of competitive fixed-price contracts to private vendors starting in 2011. Operational contracts to fly astronauts were awarded in September 2014 to SpaceX and Boeing, and NASA expected each company to complete development and achieve crew rating in 2017. Each company performed an uncrewed orbital test flight in 2019.
SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 2, also known as Dragon C2+, was the second test-flight for SpaceX's uncrewed Cargo Dragon spacecraft. It launched in May 2012 on the third flight of the company's two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The flight was performed under a funded agreement from NASA as the second Dragon demonstration mission in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. The purpose of the COTS program is to develop and demonstrate commercial sources for cargo re-supply of the International Space Station (ISS). The Dragon C2+ spacecraft was the first American vehicle to visit the ISS since the end of the Space Shuttle program. It was also the first commercial spacecraft to rendezvous and berth with another spacecraft.
Crew Dragon Demo-1 was the first orbital test of the Dragon 2 spacecraft. The mission launched on 2 March 2019 at 07:49:03 UTC, and arrived at the International Space Station on 3 March 2019, a little over 24 hours after the launch. The mission ended with a splashdown on 8 March 2019 at 13:45:08UTC.
Crew Dragon Demo-2 was the first crewed test flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The spacecraft, named Endeavour, launched on 30 May 2020 on a Falcon 9 rocket, and carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station in the first crewed orbital spaceflight launched from the United States since the final Space Shuttle mission in 2011, and the first ever operated by a commercial provider. Demo-2 was also the first two-person orbital spaceflight launched from the United States since STS-4 in 1982. Demo-2 completed the validation of crewed spaceflight operations using SpaceX hardware and received human-rating certification for the spacecraft, including astronaut testing of Crew Dragon capabilities on orbit.
SpaceX Dragon 1 is a class of fourteen partially reusable cargo spacecraft developed by SpaceX, an American private space transportation company. The spacecraft flew 23 missions between 2010 and 2020. Dragon was launched into orbit by the company's Falcon 9 launch vehicle to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). It was succeeded by the Dragon 2 spacecraft which has both crewed and cargo versions.
SpaceX Crew-1 was the first operational crewed flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the maiden flight of the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft. It was also the second crewed orbital flight launch by the United States since that of STS-135 in July 2011. Resilience launched on 16 November 2020 at 00:27:17 UTC on a Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, along with JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, all members of the Expedition 64 crew. The mission was the second overall crewed orbital flight of the Crew Dragon.
The Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test was a successful test of the SpaceX Dragon 2 abort system, conducted on 19 January 2020. It was the final assessment for the Crew Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 launch system before they would be certified to carry humans into space. Booster B1046.4 and an uncrewed capsule C205 were launched from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) on a suborbital trajectory, followed by an in-flight abort of the capsule at max Q and supersonic speed. The test was carried out successfully: the capsule pulled itself away from the booster after launch control commanded the abort, and landed safely.
SpaceX CRS-21, also known as SpX-21, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station which launched on 6 December 2020. The mission was contracted by NASA and was flown by SpaceX using a Cargo Dragon 2. This was the first flight for SpaceX under NASA's CRS Phase 2 contract awarded in January 2016. This was also the first Cargo Dragon of the new Dragon 2 variant, as well as the first Cargo Dragon flight that was docked at the same time as a Crew Dragon spacecraft. This mission used Booster B1058.4, becoming the first NASA mission to reuse a booster previously used on a non-NASA mission. This was also first time SpaceX launched a NASA payload on a booster with more than one previous flight.
The Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 was a repeat of Boeing's unsuccessful first Orbital Flight Test (Boe-OFT) of its Starliner spacecraft. The uncrewed mission was part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. OFT-2, using Starliner Spacecraft 2, launched 19 May 2022 and lasted 6 days. Starliner successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on 21 May 2022. It stayed at the ISS for 4 days before undocking and landing in the White Sands Missile Range on 25 May 2022.
The Commercial Crew Program (CCP) provides commercially operated crew transportation service to and from the International Space Station (ISS) under contract to NASA, conducting crew rotations between the expeditions of the International Space Station program. American space manufacturer SpaceX began providing service in 2020, using the Crew Dragon spacecraft, and NASA plans to add Boeing when its Boeing Starliner spacecraft becomes operational no earlier than 2025. NASA has contracted for six operational missions from Boeing and fourteen from SpaceX, ensuring sufficient support for ISS through 2030.
Crew Dragon Resilience is the second operational Crew Dragon reusable spacecraft manufactured and operated by SpaceX. It first launched on 16 November 2020 to the International Space Station (ISS) on the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, the first operational flight of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. It was subsequently used for Inspiration4 in 2021, the first private spaceflight mission with an all-civilian crew, and the Polaris Dawn mission in September 2024.
Crew Dragon Endeavour is the first operational Crew Dragon reusable spacecraft manufactured and operated by SpaceX. The spacecraft is named after Space ShuttleEndeavour. It first launched on 30 May 2020 to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission. It has subsequently been used for the SpaceX Crew-2 mission that launched in April 2021, the private Axiom Mission 1 that launched in April 2022, and the SpaceX Crew-6 mission that launched in March 2023. It was last in orbit with the SpaceX Crew-8 mission from early March 2024 to late October 2024. Endeavour currently holds the single-mission record for the most time in orbit by an American crewed spacecraft at 235 days.
Crew Dragon C204 was part of Crew Dragon flight vehicle SN 2-1 manufactured and operated by SpaceX and used by NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Used in the uncrewed Demo-1 mission, it was launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket on 2 March 2019, arriving at the International Space Station on 3 March 2019. It was the first orbital test flight of the Dragon 2 spacecraft. The spacecraft was unexpectedly destroyed on 20 April 2019 during a separate test when firing the SuperDraco engines at Landing Zone 1.
The Crew Dragon Pad Abort Test was a spacecraft test conducted by SpaceX on 6 May 2015 from the Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. As part of the development of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the test demonstrated the spacecraft's abort system capability, verifying the capsule's eight side-mounted SuperDraco thrusters' capability to quickly power itself away from a failing rocket while it is still on the ground. It was one of the two tests conducted by SpaceX on the abort system of spacecraft, the other one being the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test conducted on 19 January 2020.
Dragon C208 is the first Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft, and the first in a line of International Space Station resupply craft which replaced the Dragon capsule, manufactured by SpaceX. The mission is contracted by NASA under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program. It flew for the first time on the CRS-21 mission on 6 December 2020. This was the first flight for SpaceX under NASA's CRS Phase 2 contract awarded in January 2016. This was also the first time a Cargo Dragon was docked at the same time as a Crew Dragon spacecraft. This mission used Booster B1058.4.
Crew Dragon C205 is a Crew Dragon capsule manufactured and built by SpaceX. It completed its only flight on January 19, 2020, with the Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test mission where the capsule detached from the Falcon 9 B1046 booster at max q using the SuperDraco abort thrusters. This was done to test the functionality of the abort thrusters in an operational rocket launch.
References
↑ Heiney, Anna (23 July 2020). "Top 10 Things to Know for NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 Return". nasa.gov. Retrieved 24 July 2020. At the time of undock, Dragon Endeavour and its trunk weigh approximately 27,600 pounds This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
1 2 3 4 5 SpaceX (1 March 2019). "Dragon". SpaceX. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
1 2 3 4 Audit of Commercial Resupply Services to the International Space StationArchived 30 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine NASA 26 April 2018 Report No. IG-18-016 Quote: "For SpaceX, certification of the company's unproven cargo version of its Dragon 2 spacecraft for CRS-2 missions carries risk while the company works to resolve ongoing concerns related to software traceability and systems engineering processes" This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
↑ Gwynne Shotwell (21 March 2014). Broadcast 2212: Special Edition, interview with Gwynne Shotwell. The Space Show. Event occurs at 24:05–24:45 and 28:15–28:35. 2212. Archived from the original on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2014. we call it v2 for Dragon. That is the primary vehicle for crew, and we will retrofit it back to cargo
↑ Parma, George (20 March 2011). "Overview of the NASA Docking System and the International Docking System Standard"(PDF). NASA. Archived from the original(PDF) on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2012. iLIDS was later renamed the NASA Docking System (NDS), and will be NASA's implementation of an IDSS compatible docking system for all future U.S. vehicles This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
↑ Bolden, Charles (9 May 2012). "2012-05-09_NASA_Response"(PDF). NASA. Archived from the original(PDF) on 15 February 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2012. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
↑ Potter, Sean (31 August 2022). "NASA Awards SpaceX More Crew Flights to Space Station". NASA.gov. NASA. This is a firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract modification for the Crew-10, Crew-11, Crew-12, Crew-13, and Crew-14 flights. The value of this modification for all five missions and related mission services is $1,436,438,446. The amount includes ground, launch, in-orbit, and return and recovery operations, cargo transportation for each mission, and a lifeboat capability while docked to the International Space Station. The period of performance runs through 2030 and brings the total CCtCap contract value with SpaceX to $4,927,306,350
↑ McCarthy, Niall (4 June 2020). "Why SpaceX Is A Game Changer For NASA [Infographic]". Forbes. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020. According to the NASA audit, the SpaceX Crew Dragon's per-seat cost works out at an estimated $55 million while a seat on Boeing's Starliner is approximately $90 million...
↑ Wall, Mike (16 November 2019). "Here's How Much NASA Is Paying Per Seat on SpaceX's Crew Dragon & Boeing's Starliner". Space.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020. NASA will likely pay about $90 million for each astronaut who flies aboard Boeing's CST-100 Starliner capsule on International Space Station (ISS) missions, the report estimated. The per-seat cost for SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, meanwhile, will be around $55 million, according to the OIG's calculations.
↑ Richardson, Derek (30 July 2016). "Second SpaceX Crew Flight Ordered by NASA". Spaceflight Insider. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016. Currently, the first uncrewed test of the spacecraft is expected to launch in May 2017. Sometime after that, SpaceX plans to conduct an in-flight abort to test the SuperDraco thrusters while the rocket is traveling through the area of maximum dynamic pressure – Max Q.
↑ Foust, Jeff (4 February 2016). "SpaceX seeks to accelerate Falcon 9 production and launch rates this year". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016. Shotwell said the company is planning an in-flight abort test of the Crew Dragon spacecraft before the end of this year, where the vehicle uses its thrusters to separate from a Falcon 9 rocket during ascent. That will be followed in 2017 by two demonstration flights to the International Space Station, the first without a crew and the second with astronauts on board, and then the first operational mission.
↑ Siceloff, Steven (1 July 2015). "More Fidelity for SpaceX In-Flight Abort Reduces Risk". NASA. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016. In the updated plan, SpaceX would launch its uncrewed flight test (DM-1), refurbish the flight test vehicle, then conduct the in-flight abort test prior to the crew flight test. Using the same vehicle for the in-flight abort test will improve the realism of the ascent abort test and reduce risk. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
↑ "We were surprised a little bit at how smooth things were off the pad ... and our expectation was as we continued with the flight into second stage that things would basically get a lot smoother than the Space Shuttle did, but Dragon was huffing and puffing all the way into orbit, and we were definitely driving and riding a dragon all the way up, and so it was not quite the same ride, the smooth ride as the Space Shuttle was up to MECO. A little bit less g's but a little bit more 'alive' is probably the best way I would describe it". NASA Astronauts Arrive at the International Space Station on SpaceX Spacecraft. 31 May 2020. Event occurs at 03:46:02. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
↑ Foust, Jeff (14 July 2022). "SpaceX launches cargo Dragon mission to ISS". SpaceNews. Retrieved 15 July 2022. After CRS-25, the next commercial cargo mission is NG-18, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus mission tentatively scheduled for mid-October. The SpaceX CRS-26 Dragon mission will follow late in the year, delivering among other cargo a set of solar arrays to be installed on the station by spacewalking astronauts.
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