 | |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
|---|---|
| Designer | SpaceX |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Applications | ISS crew and cargo transport;private spaceflight |
| Website | spacex.com/vehicles/dragon |
| Specifications | |
| Spacecraft type | Capsule |
| Launch mass | 12,500 kg (27,600 lb)[3][a] |
| Dry mass | 7,700 kg (16,976 lb)[4] |
| Payload capacity | |
| Crew capacity |
|
| Volume |
|
| Power |
|
| Batteries | 4 ×lithium polymer |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Design life | |
| Dimensions | |
| Height | |
| Diameter | 4 m (13 ft)[5] |
| Width | 3.7 m (12 ft)[9] |
| Production | |
| Status | Active |
| Built | 13 (7 crew, 3 cargo, 3 prototypes) |
| Operational | 9 (5 crew, 3 cargo, 1 prototype) |
| Retired | 3 (1 crew, 2 prototypes) |
| Lost | 1 (crew, during uncrewed test) |
| Maiden launch |
|
| Related spacecraft | |
| Derived from | SpaceX Dragon 1 |
| Launch vehicle | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Thruster details | |
| Propellant mass | 2,562 kg (5,648 lb)[4] |
| Powered by |
|
| Maximum thrust |
|
| Specific impulse | Draco: 300 s (2.9 km/s) |
| Propellant | N2O4 /CH6N2[10] |
| Configuration | |
 Cross-sectional views of the Crew Dragon 1: Parachutes, 2: Crew access hatch, 3:Draco thrusters, 4:SuperDraco engines, 5: Propellant tank, 6:IDSS port, 7: Port hatch, 8: Control panel, 9: Cargo pallet, 10:Environmental control system, 11:Heat shield | |
Dragon 2 is a class of partiallyreusable spacecraft developed, manufactured, and operated by the American space companySpaceX for flights to theInternational Space Station (ISS) andprivate spaceflight missions. The spacecraft, which consists of a reusablespace capsule and an expendabletrunk module, has two variants: the 4-personCrew Dragon andCargo Dragon, a replacement for theDragon 1 cargo capsule. The spacecraft launches atop aFalcon 9 Block 5 rocket, and the capsule returns toEarth throughsplashdown.[5]
Crew Dragon's primary role is to transport crews to and from the ISS under NASA'sCommercial Crew Program, a task handled by theSpace Shuttle until it wasretired in 2011. It will be joined byBoeing'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 fromAxiom Space'splanned space station.
Cargo Dragonbrings cargo to the ISS under aCommercial Resupply Services-2 contract withNASA, a duty it shares withNorthrop Grumman'sCygnus spacecraft. As of January 2025, it is the only reusable orbitalcargo spacecraft in operation, though it may eventually be joined by the under-developmentSierra SpaceDream Chaser spaceplane.[11]
There are two variants of Dragon 2: Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon.[6] 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 wereberthed to ISS by ISS personnel. Dragon 2 instead has anIDSS-compatible docking port to dock to theInternational Docking Adapter ports on ISS. It is able to perform fullyautonomous rendezvous and docking with manual override ability.[16][17] For typical missions, Crew Dragon remains docked to the ISS for a nominal period of 180 days, but is designed to remain on the station for up to 210 days,[c] matching the RussianSoyuz spacecraft.[18][19][20][21][22][23]
Crew Dragon is capable of autonomous operation. SpaceX and NASA state that it is capable of carrying seven astronauts, but in normal operations, it carries two to four crew members, and as of January 2025[update], has never carried more than four.[24]
Crew Dragon includes an integrated pusherlaunch escape system whose eightSuperDraco engines can separate 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 underparachutes was proposed to NASA as "the baseline return and recovery approach for the first few flights" of Crew Dragon.[25] However, propulsive landing was later cancelled, leaving ocean splashdown under parachutes as the only option.[26]
In 2012, SpaceX was in talks with Orbital Outfitters about developingspace suits to wear during launch and re-entry.[27] Each crew member wears a custom-fitted space suit that provides cooling inside the Dragon (IVA type suit) but can also protect its wearer in arapid cabin depressurization.[28][29] For theDemo-1 mission, a test dummy was fitted with the spacesuit and sensors. The spacesuit is made fromNomex, a fire-retardant fabric similar toKevlar.
The spacecraft's design was unveiled on May 29, 2014, during a press event atSpaceX headquarters inHawthorne, California.[30][31][32] In October 2014, NASA selected the Dragon spacecraft as one of the candidates to fly Americanastronauts to the International Space Station, under theCommercial Crew Program.[33][34][35] In March 2022, SpaceX PresidentGwynne Shotwell told Reuters that "We are finishing our final (capsule), but we still are manufacturing components, because we'll be refurbishing".[36] SpaceX later decided to build a fifth Crew Dragon capsule, to be available by 2024.[37] SpaceX also manufactures a new expendable trunk for each flight.
SpaceX's Commercial Crew Transportation Capabilities (CCtCap) contract values each seat on a Crew Dragon flight to be around US$88 million,[38] while the face value of each seat has been estimated by NASA'sOffice of Inspector General (OIG) to be around US$55 million.[39][40][41] This contrasts with the 2014 Soyuz launch price of US$76 million per seat for NASA astronauts.[42]
Dragon 2 was intended from the earliest design concept to carry crew, or with fewer seats, both crew and cargo.
The cargo version, dubbedCargo 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, dubbedCRS-2.[43] As of August 2025[update], Cargo Dragon had completed ten missions to and from the ISS with the eleventh mission in progress and more missions planned.
Cargo Dragons lack several features of the crewed variant, including seats, cockpit controls, astronaut life support systems, andSuperDraco abort engines.[44][45] Cargo Dragon improves on many aspects of theoriginal Dragon design, including the recovery and refurbishment process.[46]
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 August 29, 2021, during theCRS-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".[47][48] For the first time, Dragon Cargo Dragon C208 performed test reboost of the ISS via its aft-facing Draco thrusters on November 8, 2024, at 17:50 UTC.[49]
OnSpaceX CRS-33, Dragon included "boost kit" propulsion module in Dragon's hollow unpressurized trunk, which is typically used to carry larger experiments that are robotically attached to the outside of the ISS. The kit comprises six dedicated propellant tanks containing hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, a helium pressurant tank, and twoDraco thrusters aligned with the station's velocity vector. The boost kit is based on, but operates independently from Dragon's primary propulsion system.[50][51] When activated, the system can add about 9 meters per second (20 mph) to the ISS's orbital velocity, equivalent to the total reboost impulse of roughly one-and-a-half RussianProgress cargo vehicles, which are normally responsible for orbit maintenance. The kit carries enough propellant to provide about one-third to one-fourth of the ISS's annual reboost needs.[50]
TheUS 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.[52] 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 30 additional Draco thrusters (in addition to the normal 16) and will carry 30,000 kg (66,000 lb) 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 220 km (140 mi). The spacecraft is to then conduct one or more orientation burns to lower the perigee to 150 km (93 mi), followed by a final deorbiting burn to push the station into the ocean.[53] 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.[54][55]
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 March 2024[update], they are working to certify it for up to fifteen missions.[56]
To maximize cost-effectiveness, SpaceX incorporated several innovative design choices. The Crew Dragon employs eight side-mountedSuperDraco engines for its emergency escape system, eliminating the need for a traditional, disposableescape tower. Furthermore, instead of housing the critical and expensivelife support,thruster, and propellant storage systems in a disposableservice module, Dragon 2 integrates them within the capsule for reuse.
The trunk serves as an adapter between the capsule and the Falcon 9 rocket's second stage and also includessolar panels, aheat-dissipation radiator, and fins to provideaerodynamic stability during emergency aborts.[25] Dragon 2 integrates solar arrays directly into the trunk's structure, replacing the deployable panels of its predecessor, Dragon 1. On Cargo Dragon missions, the trunk can also be used to transport unpressurized payloads, such as theRoll Out Solar Array, or it can be fitted with a "boost kit" to performreboosts of the ISS.[57] The trunk is connected to the capsule using a fitting known as "the claw".[58]
The typical Crew Dragon mission includes four astronauts: acommander who leads the mission and has primary responsibility for operating the spacecraft, apilot 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.[7]
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 (500 lb) of items can be stowed.[59] On the ground, crews enter the capsule through a side hatch. The capsule’s ceiling includes a smallspace toilet (with privacy curtain),[60] and anInternational Docking System Standard (IDSS) port. Forprivate spaceflight missions not requiring ISS docking, the IDSS port can be replaced with a 1.2-meter (3 ft 11 in) domed plexiglass window offering panoramic views, similar to theISS Cupola.[61] Additionally, SpaceX has developed a "Skywalker" hatch for missions involvingextravehicular activities.[62]
The Cargo Dragon is loaded from the side hatch as well as through the IDSS port on the ceiling. It lacks the control panels, life support, windows, and seats of the Crew Dragon.
The spacecraft can be operated in fullvacuum, and crew wears SpaceX-designedspace 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 6.35 mm [0.25 in] in diameter".[25]
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.[25][32] 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 71 kN (16,000 lbf) of thrust.[30] Sixteen smaller Draco thrusters placed around the spacecraft control its attitude and perform orbital maneuvers.
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When the capsule returns to Earth, aPICA-3 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.[63] 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.[64] In 2024, the use of the SuperDraco thrusters for propulsive landing was enabled again, but only as a backup for parachute emergencies.[65]
Crew Dragon is used by both commercial and government customers.Axiom Space 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.[63]
On September 16, 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.[66] Dragon was the less expensive proposal,[34] but NASA'sWilliam H. Gerstenmaier considered theBoeing Starliner proposal the stronger of the two. However, Crew Dragon's first operational flight,SpaceX Crew-1, was on November 16, 2020, after several test flights, while Starliner suffered multiple problems and delays, with its first operational flight slipping to no earlier than 2026.[67]
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.[68]
NASA approved a new propellant loading procedure due to the Falcon 9 rocket's novel use ofsuperchilled propellants. Unlike earlier NASA spacecraft, such as theSaturn V and Space Shuttle—where propellants were fully loaded hours before launch and before astronauts boarded—on the Falcon 9, propellants are loaded just before launch to keep theliquid oxygen near −340 °F (−206.7 °C) and thekerosene near 20 °F (−7 °C).[69] Propellant loading begins approximately 40 minutes before liftoff, with thelaunch escape system active to ensure the crew can be safely pulled away from the rocket in the event of an emergency during fuel loading.[70]
The first uncrewed test mission,Demo-1, launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on March 2, 2019.[71] After schedule slips,[72] the first crewed flight,Demo-2, launched on May 30, 2020.[73]
SpaceX planned a series of fourflight 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,[74] which was initially planned for July 2019,[72] but after a Dragon capsule explosion, was delayed to May 2020.[75]
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The pad abort test was conducted successfully on May 6, 2015, at SpaceX's leasedSLC-40 launch site.[63] Dragon landed safely in the ocean to the east of the launchpad 99 seconds after ignition of the SuperDraco engines.[76] 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. Acrash test dummy embedded with a suite of sensors was placed inside the test vehicle to recordacceleration loads and forces at the crew seat, while the remaining six seats were loaded with weights to simulate full-passenger-load weight.[68][77] The test objective was to demonstrate sufficient totalimpulse,thrust andcontrollability 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.[78][79][80]
On November 24, 2015, SpaceX conducted a test of Dragon 2's hovering abilities at the firm'srocket development facility inMcGregor, Texas. In a video, the spacecraft is shown suspended by a hoisting cable and igniting itsSuperDraco engines to hover for about 5 seconds, balancing on its 8 engines firing at reduced thrust to compensate exactly for gravity.[81] The test vehicle was the same capsule that performed the pad abort test earlier in 2015; it was nicknamedDragonFly.[82]
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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, andDouglas Hurley.[83] TheDemo-1 mission completed the last milestone of the Commercial Crew Development program, paving the way to starting commercial services under an upcomingISS Crew Transportation Services contract.[68][84] On August 3, 2018, NASA announced the crew for the DM-2 mission.[85] The crew of two consisted of NASA astronautsBob Behnken andDoug Hurley. Behnken previously flew as mission specialist on the STS-123 and the STS-130 missions. Hurley previously flew as a pilot on theSTS-127 mission and on the final Space Shuttle mission,STS-135.[86]
The first orbital test of Crew Dragon was an uncrewed mission, commonly called "Demo-1" and launched on March 2, 2019.[87][88] The spacecraft tested the approach and automated docking procedures with the ISS,[89] remained docked until March 8, 2019, then conducted the full re-entry, splashdown and recovery steps to qualify for a crewed mission.[90][91] 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 April 20, 2019.[87][92]
On April 20, 2019, Crew Dragon C204, the capsule used in theDemo-1 mission, was destroyed in an explosion during static fire testing at theLanding Zone 1 facility.[93][94] On the day of the explosion, the initial testing of the Crew Dragon'sDraco thrusters was successful, with the anomaly occurring during the test of theSuperDraco abort system.[95]
Telemetry, high-speed camera footage, and analysis of recovered debris indicate the problem occurred when a small amount ofdinitrogen tetroxide leaked into ahelium 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 acheck valve and resulted in the explosion.[95][96]
SpaceX modified the Dragon 2 replacing check valves withburst 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.[97] The SuperDraco engine test was repeated on November 13, 2019, with Crew Dragon C205. The test was successful, showing that the modifications made to the vehicle were successful.[98]
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.[99]
The Crew Dragon in-flight abort test was launched on January 19, 2020, at 15:30 UTC fromLC-39A on asuborbital trajectory to conduct a separation and abort scenario in thetroposphere attransonic velocities shortly after passing throughmax Q, where the vehicle experiences maximum aerodynamic pressure. The Dragon 2 used itsSuperDraco 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 smallerDraco 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.[100] 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.[63] The abort test was performed using a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket with a fully fueled second stage with a mass simulator replacing theMerlin engine.[101]
Earlier, this test had been scheduled before the uncrewed orbital test,[102] however, SpaceX and NASA considered it safer to use a flight representative capsule rather than the test article from the pad abort test.[103]
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 April 20, 2019.[104]Capsule C205, originally planned for Demo-2 was used for the In-Flight Abort Test[105] 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.[106]
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On April 17, 2020, NASA administratorJim Bridenstine announced the first crewedCrew Dragon Demo-2 to the International Space Station would launch on May 27, 2020.[107] AstronautsBob Behnken andDoug Hurley crewed the mission, marking the first crewed launch to the International Space Station from U.S. soil sinceSTS-135 in July 2011. The original launch was postponed to May 30, 2020, due to weather conditions at the launch site.[108] The second launch attempt was successful, with capsule C206, later namedEndeavour by the crew, launching on 30 May 2020 19:22UTC.[109][110] The capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station on May 31, 2020, at 14:27 UTC.[111][112][113] On August 2, 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 theSpace Shuttle] but more 'alive' is probably the best way I would describe it".[114]
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".[115]
The following is a list of prototype, Crew Dragon, and Cargo Dragon vehicles.[116][117][118]
| Serial Number | Name | Type | Status | Flights | Flight time | Total flight time | Notes | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C201 | DragonFly | Prototype | Retired | 1 | 99s (Pad Abort Test) | 99s | Prototype used forpad abort test atCape Canaveral and tethered hover tests at theMcGregor Test Facility. |  |
| C202 | None | Prototype | Retired | N/A | N/A | N/A | Pressure vessel qualification module used for structural testing. | |
| C203 | None | Prototype | In use | N/A | N/A | N/A | Environmental control and life support system testing module, still in use forhuman-in-the-loop testing. |
| Serial Number | Name | Type | Status | Flights | Flight time | Total flight time | Notes | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C204 | None | Crew | Destroyed | 1 | 6d 5h 56m (Demo-1) | 6d 5h 56m | First Dragon 2 to fly in space. Only flight wasDemo-1; accidentally destroyed during ground testing of the abort thrusters weeks after the flight. | |
| C205 | None | Crew | Retired | 1 | 8m 54s (In-Flight Abort Test) | 8m 54s | Was originally to be used onDemo-2 but instead flew theCrew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test due to the destruction of C204 and was retired afterwards. | |
| C206 | Endeavour | Crew | Active (docked to ISS) | 6 | 63d 23h 25m (Demo-2) | 701d 21h 16m | First vehicle to carry crew; named afterSpace Shuttle Endeavour. First flown duringCrew Demo-2.[119] Has since flownCrew-2,[120]Axiom-1,Crew-6,Crew-8, andCrew-11. First Dragon to fly beyond the initial certification of 5 flights per Dragon. | |
| 199d 17h 44m (Crew-2) | ||||||||
| 17d 1h 49m (Axiom-1) | ||||||||
| 185d 22h 43m (Crew-6) | ||||||||
| 235d 3h 35m (Crew-8) | ||||||||
| 115d 1h 13m (Crew-11,in progress) | ||||||||
| C207 | Resilience | Crew | Active | 4 | 167d 6h 29m (Crew-1) | 178d 19h 17m | First flew onCrew-1 on November 16, 2020.[121] Has since flown private spaceflight missionsInspiration4,Polaris Dawn, andFram2. | |
| 2d 23h 3m (Inspiration4) | ||||||||
| 4d 22h 13m (Polaris Dawn) | ||||||||
| 3d 14h 32m (Fram2) | ||||||||
| C210 | Endurance | Crew | Active | 4 | 176d 2h 39m (Crew-3) | 680d 7h 28m | First flew onCrew-3 on November 11, 2021.[122] Has since flownCrew-5,Crew-7, andCrew-10. | |
| 157d 10h 1m (Crew-5) | ||||||||
| 199d 2h 20m (Crew-7) | ||||||||
| 147d 16h 29m (Crew-10) | ||||||||
| C212 | Freedom | Crew | Active | 4 | 170d 13h 2m (Crew-4) | 372d 14h 50m | First flew onCrew-4 on April 24, 2022.[123] Has since flownAxiom-2,Axiom-3, andCrew-9. | |
| 9d 5h 27m (Axiom-2) | ||||||||
| 21d 15h 40m (Axiom-3) | ||||||||
| 171d 4h 39m (Crew-9) | ||||||||
| C213 | Grace | Crew | Active | 1 | 20d 2h 59m (Axiom-4) | 20d 2h 59m | First flew onAxiom-4. | |
| Serial Number | Name | Type | Status | Flights | Flight time | Total flight time | Notes | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C208 | None | Cargo | Active | 5 | 38d 9h 8m (CRS-21) | 175d 13h 52m | First Cargo Dragon 2, which flew theCRS-21,CRS-23,CRS-25,CRS-28 andCRS-31 missions.[124] | |
| 32d 19h 42m (CRS-23) | ||||||||
| 36d 18h 8m (CRS-25) | ||||||||
| 24d 22h 43m (CRS-28) | ||||||||
| 42d 16h 10m (CRS-31) | ||||||||
| C209 | None | Cargo | Active | 5 | 36d 9h 59m (CRS-22) | 175d 23h 36m | Second Cargo Dragon 2, which flew theCRS-22,CRS-24,CRS-27,CRS-30 andCRS-32 missions. | |
| 34d 10h 57m (CRS-24) | ||||||||
| 31d 20h 28m (CRS-27) | ||||||||
| 24d 22h 43m (CRS-30) | ||||||||
| 33d 21h 29m (CRS-32) | ||||||||
| C211 | None | Cargo | Active (docked to ISS) | 3 | 45d 14h 58m (CRS-26) | 88d 7h 4m | Third Cargo Dragon 2, which flew theCRS-26,CRS-29,[123][125]CRS-33 missions. | |
| 42d 16h 5m (CRS-29) | ||||||||
| 92d 14h 11m (CRS-33,in progress) |
List includes only completed or currently manifested missions. Dates are listed inUTC, and for future events, they are the earliest possible opportunities (also known asNET dates) and may change.
| Mission andpatch | Capsule[118] | Launch date | Landing date | Launch pad | Landing site | Remarks | Crew | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pad Abort Test (patch) | C201DragonFly | May 6, 2015 | SLC-40 | Atlantic Ocean | Simulating an escape from a rocket failure on the ground, Crew Dragon's SuperDraco engines lifted the capsule from a ground pad atSLC-40 and propelled it to a safe splashdown in the nearby ocean. | — | Success | |
| Demo-1 (patch) | C204 | March 2, 2019 | March 8, 2019 | LC-39A | Atlantic Ocean | Uncrewed orbital test flight, successfully docked with the ISS. | — | Success |
| In-Flight Abort Test (patch) | C205 | January 19, 2020 | LC-39A | Atlantic 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. | — | Success | |
Demo-2 | C206‑1Endeavour | May 30, 2020 | August 2, 2020 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | 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 ofCrew-1. | Success | |
Crew-1 | C207‑1Resilience | November 16, 2020 | May 2, 2021 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | First operational Commercial Crew flight. | Success | |
Crew-2 | C206‑2Endeavour | April 23, 2021 | November 9, 2021 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | First reuse of a capsule and booster rocket. | Success | |
| Inspiration4 (patch1 and2) | C207‑2Resilience | September 16, 2021 | September 18, 2021 | LC-39A | Atlantic Ocean | The first fully private, all-civilian orbital flight. Crew reached a 585 km (364 mi) orbit and conducted science experiments and public outreach activities for three days.[126] First standalone orbital Crew Dragon flight and the first flight with the cupola. | Success | |
Crew-3 | C210‑1Endurance | November 11, 2021 | May 6, 2022 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | Success | ||
| Axiom-1 (patch) | C206‑3Endeavour | April 8, 2022 | April 25, 2022 | LC-39A | Atlantic Ocean | First fully private flight to the ISS. Contracted byAxiom Space. Axiom employee served as commander with three tourists. | Success | |
Crew-4 | C212‑1Freedom | April 27, 2022 | October 14, 2022 | LC-39A | Atlantic Ocean | Success | ||
Crew-5 | C210‑2Endurance | October 5, 2022 | March 12, 2023 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | First crew to include a Russian cosmonaut as part of Dragon–Soyuz seat swap program.[127] | Success | |
Crew-6 | C206‑4Endeavour | March 2, 2023 | September 4, 2023 | LC-39A | Atlantic Ocean | Success | ||
| Axiom-2 (patch) | C212‑2Freedom | May 21, 2023 | May 31, 2023 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | Fully private flight to the ISS. Contracted by Axiom Space. Axiom employee served as commander, other seats purchased bySSA and a tourist.[128] | Success | |
Crew-7 | C210‑3Endurance | August 26, 2023 | March 12, 2024 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | Success | ||
| Axiom-3 (patch) | C212‑3Freedom | January 18, 2024[129] | February 9, 2024 | LC-39A | Atlantic Ocean | Fully private flight to the ISS. Axiom employee served as commander, other seats purchased byAM,TUA, andSNSA/ESA. | Success | |
Crew-8 | C206‑5Endeavour | March 4, 2024 | October 25, 2024 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | Longest Crew Dragon mission. ISS stay extended and two makeshift seats added to allow Crew-8 to serve as "lifeboat" for theBoeing CFT crew if needed. | Success | |
| Polaris Dawn (patch) | C207‑3Resilience | September 10, 2024 | September 15, 2024 | LC-39A | Gulf of Mexico | Fully private orbital flight, including two SpaceX employees. First of three planned flights of the privatePolaris Program. Flew 1,400 km (870 mi) away from Earth, the highest orbit of the planet flown by a crewed spacecraft since the end of the Apollo program. Isaacman and Gillis made the first commercial spacewalk during the mission.[130] | Success | |
Crew-9 | C212‑4Freedom | September 28, 2024 | March 18, 2025 | SLC-40 | Gulf of Mexico | Was the first crewed mission to launch fromSLC-40.[131] Launched with only two crew members and returned with the crew of theBoeing Crew Flight Test due to issues with theBoeing Starliner Calypso.[132] |
| Success |
Crew-10 | C210‑4Endurance | March 14, 2025 | August 9, 2025 | LC-39A | Pacific Ocean | Success | ||
| Fram2 (patch) | C207‑4Resilience | April 1, 2025 | April 4, 2025 | LC-39A | Pacific Ocean | Fully private, all-civilian orbital flight. First crewed mission to launch into anorbit over the planet's poles.[133][134] First crewed Dragon landing on the West Coast. | Success | |
| Axiom-4 (patch) | C213‑1Grace | June 25, 2025 | July 15, 2025 | LC-39A | Pacific Ocean | Fully private flight to the ISS. Axiom employee served as commander; other seats purchased byISRO,POLSA/ESA, andHungary. | Success | |
Crew-11 | C206‑6Endeavour[137] | August 1, 2025[138] | April 2026 | LC-39A | Pacific Ocean (planned) | Fastest Crew Dragon rendezvous to date. | In progress | |
| Crew-12[141] | TBA | March 31, 2026 | October 2026 | TBA | Pacific Ocean (planned) | Planned | ||
| Vast-1 | TBA | June 2026 | TBA | TBA | Pacific Ocean (planned) | Servicing of theHaven-1 space station.[143] | TBA | Planned |
| Crew-13[141] | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Pacific Ocean (planned) | TBA | Planned | |
| Crew-14[141] | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Pacific Ocean (planned) | TBA | Planned | |
| Polaris-2 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Pacific Ocean (planned) | Last Polaris Program flight to use Crew Dragon (final flight plans to useStarship).[144] |
| Planned |
| Mission and Patch | Capsule[145] | Launch date | Landing date | Remarks | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CRS-21 | C208‑1 | December 6, 2020 | January 14, 2021 | First SpaceX mission performed under theCRS-2 contract withNASA and the first flight of Cargo Dragon 2. Also delivered theNanoracks Bishop Airlock module. | Success |
CRS-22 | C209‑1 | June 3, 2021 | July 10, 2021 | Also delivered solar arraysiROSA 1 and iROSA 2 | Success |
CRS-23 | C208‑2 | August 29, 2021 | October 1, 2021 | Success | |
CRS-24 | C209‑2 | December 21, 2021 | January 24, 2022 | Success | |
CRS-25 | C208‑3 | July 15, 2022 | August 20, 2022 | Success | |
CRS-26 | C211‑1 | November 26, 2022 | January 11, 2023 | Also delivered solar arrays iROSA 3 and iROSA 4.[146] | Success |
CRS-27 | C209‑3 | March 15, 2023 | April 15, 2023 | Success | |
CRS-28 | C208‑4 | June 5, 2023 | June 30, 2023 | Also delivered solar arrays iROSA 5 and iROSA 6.[147] With this mission, Dragon 2 fleet's 1,324 days in orbit surpassed theSpace Shuttle. This was the 38th Dragon mission to ISS, surpassing the Shuttle's 37.[148] | Success |
CRS-29 | C211‑2 | November 10, 2023 | December 22, 2023 | Success | |
CRS-30 | C209‑4 | March 21, 2024 | April 30, 2024 | First Dragon 2 launch fromSLC-40. | Success |
CRS-31 | C208‑5 | November 5, 2024 | December 16, 2024 | First Dragon to perform a reboost of the ISS.[149] | Success |
CRS-32 | C209‑5 | April 21, 2025[150] | May 25, 2025 | First Cargo Dragon to splash down in the Pacific Ocean. | Success |
CRS-33 | C211‑3 | August 24, 2025 | December 2025 | Equipped with a "boost kit" capable of performing multiple re-boosts of the ISS.[151] | In progress |
| CRS-34 | TBA | 2026[152] | Planned | ||
| CRS-35 | TBA | November 2026[153] | Planned | ||
| United States Deorbit Vehicle | TBA | 2030[154] | To deorbit the ISS after it is decommissioned. | Planned |
Crew Dragon has flown thirteen missions for NASA under its CCDev and CCP programs and seven privately funded crewed missions. Cargo Dragon has flown twelve cargo missions for NASA. For brevity, the Demo-1 mission is not shown.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.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 thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.we call it v2 for Dragon. That is the primary vehicle for crew, and we will retrofit it back to cargo
DragonRider, SpaceX's crew-capable variant of its Dragon capsule
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 thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Walker revealed at the briefing SpaceX plans to build a fifth and likely final Crew Dragon.
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
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 ...
Eventually, a round-trip seat on the Crew Dragon is expected to cost about $US55 million. A seat on Starliner will cost about $US90 million. That's according to a November 2019 report from the NASA Office of Inspector General.
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.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.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.
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.
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 thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Right now, we think, we will fly probably the capsule 206, which is the fleet leader that will be on the sixth flight and we'll continue to work that with SpaceX.
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.
There is a particular SpaceX cargo flight, CRS-33, that has the ability to do some re-boosts for the space station and that needs to fly in than late August/early September timeframe, so we moved the handover up. The boost trunk, as we call it, will be there for a large part of the fall timeframe.
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