SpaceX Dragon 2

This article is about the SpaceX spacecraft. For other uses, see Dragon II.

Dragon 2
Crew Dragon Endeavour approaching the ISS in May 2024 during Crew-8
ManufacturerSpaceX
DesignerSpaceX
Country of originUnited States
OperatorSpaceX
ApplicationsISS crew and cargo transport; private spaceflight
Websitespacex.com/vehicles/dragon
Specifications
Spacecraft typeCapsule
Launch mass12,500 kg (27,600 lb)[3][a]
Dry mass7,700 kg (16,976 lb)[4]
Payload capacity
  • 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) to orbit[5]
  • 3,307 kg (7,291 lb) to ISS[b][6]
  • 2,507 kg (5,527 lb) return cargo[6]
  • 800 kg (1,800 lb) disposed cargo[6]
Crew capacity
  • 2–4 (normal operations)
  • 7 (emergency evacuation)[7]
Volume
  • Pressurized: 9.3 m3 (330 cu ft)
  • Unpressurized: 37 m3 (1,300 cu ft)[5]
Power
  • 28 V and 120 V DC buses
  • 1.5-2 kW solar array[8]
Batteries4 × lithium polymer
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Design life
  • 10 days (free flight)[1]
  • 210 days (docked to ISS)[2]
Dimensions
Height
  • 4.5 m (15 ft) capsule only[9]
  • 8.1 m (26.7 ft) capsule with trunk[5]
Diameter4 m (13 ft)[5]
Width3.7 m (12 ft)[9]
Production
StatusActive
On order1 (crew)
Built12 (6 crew, 3 cargo, 3 prototypes)
Operational8 (4 crew, 3 cargo, 1 prototype)
Retired3 (1 crew, 2 prototypes)
Lost1 (crew, during uncrewed test)
Maiden launch
  • Uncrewed test: 2 March 2019
  • Crewed: 30 May 2020
  • Cargo: 6 December 2020
Related spacecraft
Derived fromSpaceX Dragon 1
Launch vehicleFalcon 9 Block 5
Thruster details
Propellant mass2,562 kg (5,648 lb)[4]
Powered by
Maximum thrust
  • Draco: 400 N (90 lbf)
  • SuperDraco: 71 kN (16,000 lbf)
Specific impulseDraco: 300 s (2.9 km/s)
PropellantN2O4 / 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
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Dragon 2 is a class of partially reusable spacecraft developed, manufactured, and operated by American space company SpaceX for flights to the International Space Station (ISS) and private spaceflight missions. The spacecraft, which consists of a reusable space capsule and an expendable trunk module, has two variants: the 4-person Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon, a replacement for the Dragon 1 cargo capsule. The spacecraft launches atop a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, and the capsule returns to Earth through splashdown.[5] Since 2020, when Dragon 2 flew its first crewed and uncrewed flights, it has proven to be the most cost-effective spacecraft ever used by NASA.[11]

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.

Cargo Dragon brings cargo to the ISS under a Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract with NASA, a duty it shares with Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft. As of July 2024, it is the only reusable orbital cargo spacecraft in operation, though it may eventually be joined by Sierra Nevada Corporation's under-development Dream Chaser spaceplane.[12]

  1. ^ "DragonLab datasheet" (PDF). Hawthorne, California: SpaceX. 8 September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2011.
  2. ^ "NASA, SpaceX to Launch First Astronauts to Space Station from U.S. Since 2011". NASA. Retrieved 20 June 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ 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 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ a b "Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for Issuing SpaceX a Launch License for an In-Flight Dragon Abort Test" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. June 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e SpaceX (1 March 2019). "Dragon". SpaceX. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Audit CRS 2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Howell 2024 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Rauf, Jim (Fall 2023). "SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft" (PDF). University of Cincinnati.
  9. ^ a b Richardson, Derek. "Dragon 2". Orbital Velocity. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  10. ^ "The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2012" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. February 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2014. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. ^ "Infographic: Why SpaceX Is A Game Changer For NASA". Statista Daily Data. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Dream Chaser Lifting Body Set For Delivery To NASA Ahead Of 2024 Launch | Aviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Retrieved 8 December 2023.


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