93-626: SpaceX Crew-2 was the second operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the third overall crewed orbital flight of the Commercial Crew Program . The mission was launched on 23 April 2021 at 09:49:02 UTC , and docked to the International Space Station on 24 April at 09:08 UTC. SpaceX Crew-2 used the same capsule as Crew Dragon Demo-2 ( Endeavour ) and launched on the same Falcon 9 booster as SpaceX Crew-1 (B1061.1). With its return to Earth
186-429: A 2010 interview that he planned to increase production turnover to one Dragon every six weeks by 2012. Composite materials are extensively used in the spacecraft's manufacture to reduce weight and improve structural strength. By September 2013, SpaceX total manufacturing space had increased to nearly 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m ) and the factory had six Dragons in various stages of production. SpaceX published
279-554: A Crew Dragon in 2022. 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. 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, which was initially planned for July 2019, but after
372-466: A Dragon capsule explosion, was delayed to May 2020. The pad abort test was conducted successfully on 6 May 2015 at SpaceX's leased SLC-40 launch site. Dragon landed safely in the ocean to the east of the launchpad 99 seconds after ignition of the SuperDraco engines. 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
465-520: A PICA-X heat shield, based on a proprietary variant of NASA's Phenolic impregnated carbon ablator (PICA) material, designed to protect the capsule during Earth atmospheric entry , even at high return velocities from Lunar and Martian missions. The Dragon capsule is re-usable, and can fly multiple missions. The trunk is not recoverable; it separates from the capsule before re-entry and burns up in Earth's atmosphere . The trunk section, which carries
558-787: A bid for the third phase of CCDev, CCiCap . This evolved into the Crew dragon variant of the SpaceX Dragon 2 . In 2014, SpaceX released the total combined development costs for both the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and the Dragon capsule. NASA provided US$ 396 million while SpaceX provided over US$ 450 million to fund both development efforts. In December 2010, the SpaceX production line was reported to be manufacturing one new Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket every three months. Elon Musk stated in
651-594: 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 . 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 . In October 2014, NASA selected
744-536: A demonstration mission, launched successfully on 22 May 2012, after NASA had approved SpaceX's proposal to combine the COTS 2 and 3 mission objectives into a single Falcon 9/Dragon flight, renamed COTS 2+. Dragon conducted orbital tests of its navigation systems and abort procedures, before being grappled by the ISS' Canadarm2 and successfully berthing with the station on 25 May 2012 to offload its cargo. Dragon returned to Earth on 31 May 2012, landing as scheduled in
837-429: 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. 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
930-484: 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". 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
1023-488: A flight representative capsule rather than the test article from the pad abort test. 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. Capsule C205 , originally planned for Demo-2 was used for the In-Flight Abort Test with C206 being planned for use during Demo-2. This was the final flight test of
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#17327810593071116-422: 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. The test objective was to demonstrate sufficient total impulse , thrust and controllability to conduct a safe pad abort. A fuel mixture ratio issue
1209-522: A minimum of six launches each, with missions planned until at least 2024. The maximum potential value of all the contracts was announced as US$ 14 billion, but the minimum requirements would be considerably less. No further financial information was disclosed. CRS-2 launches began in late 2019. The first flight of the Falcon 9, a private flight, occurred in June 2010 and launched a stripped-down version of
1302-529: 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, while the face value of each seat has been estimated by NASA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) to be around US$ 55 million. This contrasts with the 2014 Soyuz launch price of US$ 76 million per seat for NASA astronauts. 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
1395-440: A photograph showing the six, including the next four NASA Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) mission Dragons ( CRS-3 , CRS-4 , CRS-5 , CRS-6 ) plus the drop-test Dragon, and the pad-abort Dragon weldment for commercial crew program . The Dragon spacecraft consists of a nose-cone cap, a conventional blunt-cone ballistic capsule , and an unpressurized cargo-carrier trunk equipped with two solar arrays . The capsule uses
1488-525: 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 . As of April 2024 , 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. Cargo Dragon improves on many aspects of
1581-484: A remote area of the southern Pacific Ocean. 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 30,000 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
1674-442: 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
1767-516: A thoroughly tested 30-man-day life-support system". A video simulation of the launch escape system's operation was released in January 2011. Musk stated in 2010 that the developmental cost of a crewed Dragon and Falcon 9 would be between US$ 800 million and US$ 1 billion. In 2009 and 2010, Musk suggested on several occasions that plans for a crewed variant of the Dragon were proceeding and had a two-to-three-year timeline to completion. SpaceX submitted
1860-485: A total combined upmass of 6,000 kilograms (13,000 lb) upon launch, and a maximum downmass of 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb) when returning to Earth . In November 2014, there were two DragonLab missions listed on the SpaceX launch manifest: one in 2016 and another in 2018. However, these missions were removed from the manifest in early 2017, with no official SpaceX statement. The American Biosatellites once performed similar uncrewed payload-delivery functions, and
1953-483: 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. 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. SpaceX, which aims to dramatically lower space transportation costs, designed Dragon 2 to be reused, not discarded as
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#17327810593072046-442: 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
2139-448: 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 , they are working to certify it for up to fifteen missions. 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
2232-462: The CRS-2 contract was assigned to SpaceX; those missions are scheduled to be launched between 2020 and 2024. CRS-11 , SpaceX's eleventh CRS mission, was successfully launched on 3 June 2017 from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A , being the 100th mission to be launched from that pad. This mission was the first to re-fly a previously flown Dragon capsule. This mission delivered 2,708 kilograms of cargo to
2325-571: The CRS-4 mission in September 2014, was launched again for the first time on CRS-11 , after being refurbished. The last flight of the Dragon 1 spacecraft launched 7 March 2020 (UTC) on cargo resupply mission ( CRS-20 ) to International Space Station (ISS). This was the last mission of SpaceX's first Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract, and marked the retirement of the Dragon 1 fleet. Further SpaceX commercial resupply flights to ISS under
2418-549: The Commercial Crew Program launched on 23 April 2021. The Crew Dragon Endeavour docked to the International Docking Adapter (IDA) at the forward port of the Harmony module . This was the first mission with astronauts on board to use a previously flown booster launch vehicle. All crew members were veteran astronauts, though this was Megan McArthur's first visit to the ISS (as her first spaceflight
2511-519: The GLACIER freezer module and MERLIN freezer module freezer modules for transporting critical science payloads. SpaceX planned to fly the Dragon spacecraft in a free-flying configuration, known as DragonLab . Its subsystems include propulsion, power, thermal and environmental control (ECLSS), avionics , communications, thermal protection , flight software, guidance and navigation systems , and entry, descent, landing, and recovery gear. It has
2604-538: The Gemini program , and first used music to wake up a flight crew during Gemini 6 ; the first song was Hello, Dolly . Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities. Due to weather delays and a minor health problem with one of the SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts, NASA decided to bring home
2697-481: 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 . Crew Dragon's primary role
2790-405: The International Space Station , including Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER). The first stage of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle landed successfully at Landing Zone 1 . This mission launched for the first time a refurbished Dragon capsule, serial number C106 , which had flown in September 2014 on the CRS-4 mission, and was the first time since 2011 a reused spacecraft arrived at
2883-468: The original Dragon design, including the recovery and refurbishment process. 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
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2976-470: The 2009 DragonLab datasheet. Dragon uses a "radiation-tolerant" design in the electronic hardware and software that make up its flight computers . The system uses three pairs of computers, each constantly checking on the others, to instantiate a fault-tolerant design . In the event of a radiation upset or soft error, one of the computer pairs will perform a soft reboot . Including the flight computers, Dragon employs 18 triply-redundant processing units, for
3069-485: 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. The capsule’s ceiling includes a small space toilet (with privacy curtain), and an International Docking System Standard (IDSS) port. For private spaceflight missions not requiring ISS docking,
3162-674: 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 6.35 mm [0.25 in] in diameter". 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. Dragon 2's propellant and helium pressurant for emergency abort and orbital maneuvers are stored in composite-carbon-overwrap titanium spherical tanks at
3255-566: The Crew-2 astronauts from the ISS before launching Crew-3, thus being the first Crew Dragon indirect handover of space station crews. The Crew Dragon undocked from the station at 19:05 UTC on 8 November 2021 and splashed down off the coast of Florida at 03:33 UTC on 9 November 2021. One of four parachutes deployed slower than the others. SpaceX Dragon 2 Dragon 2 is a class of partially reusable spacecraft developed, manufactured, and operated by American space company SpaceX for flights to
3348-535: The Dragon capsule. This Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit had initially been used as a ground test bed to validate several of the capsule's systems. During the flight, the unit's primary mission was to relay aerodynamic data captured during the ascent. It was not designed to survive re-entry, and did not. NASA contracted for three test flights from SpaceX, but later reduced that number to two. The first Dragon spacecraft launched on its first mission – contracted to NASA as COTS Demo Flight 1 – on 8 December 2010, and
3441-525: The Dragon spacecraft as one of the candidates to fly American astronauts to the International Space Station, under the Commercial Crew Program . 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". SpaceX later decided to build a fifth Crew Dragon capsule, to be available by 2024. SpaceX also manufactures
3534-517: The IDSS port can be replaced with a 1.2-meter (3 ft 11 in) domed plexiglass window offering panoramic views, similar to the ISS Cupola . Additionally, SpaceX has developed a "Skywalker" hatch for missions involving extravehicular activities . 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
3627-475: The ISS Dragon cargo flights, the ISS's Canadarm2 grapples its Flight-Releasable Grapple Fixture and berths Dragon to the station's US Orbital Segment using a Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM). The CRS Dragon does not have an independent means of maintaining a breathable atmosphere for astronauts and instead circulates in fresh air from the ISS. For typical missions, Dragon is planned to remain berthed to
3720-533: 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 . 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
3813-570: The ISS for about 30 days. The Dragon capsule can transport 3,310 kilograms (7,300 lb) of cargo, which can be all pressurized, all unpressurized, or a combination thereof. It can return to Earth 3,310 kilograms (7,300 lb), which can be all unpressurized disposal mass, or up to 3,310 kilograms (7,300 lb) of return pressurized cargo, driven by parachute limitations. There is a volume constraint of 14 cubic metres (490 cu ft) trunk unpressurized cargo and 11.2 cubic metres (400 cu ft) of pressurized cargo (up or down). The trunk
SpaceX Crew-2 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-415: The ISS under a Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract with NASA , a duty it shares with Northrop Grumman 's Cygnus spacecraft. As of November 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. There are two variants of Dragon 2: Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon. Crew Dragon
3999-653: The ISS, and is the only current spacecraft capable of returning to Earth with a significant amount of cargo. Other than the Russian Soyuz crew capsule , Dragon is the only currently operating spacecraft designed to survive re-entry. Because Dragon allows for the return of critical materials to researchers in as little as 48 hours from splashdown , it opens the possibility of new experiments on ISS that can produce materials for later analysis on ground using more sophisticated instrumentation. For example, CRS-12 returned mice that have spent time in orbit which will help give insight into how microgravity impacts blood vessels in both
4092-622: The ISS. On 23 February 2009, SpaceX announced that its chosen phenolic-impregnated carbon ablator heat shield material, PICA-X, had passed heat stress tests in preparation for Dragon's maiden launch. The primary proximity-operations sensor for the Dragon spacecraft, the DragonEye, was tested in early 2009 during the STS-127 mission, when it was mounted near the docking port of the Space Shuttle Endeavour and used while
4185-605: The ISS. SpaceX contracted to deliver cargo to the ISS under NASA 's Commercial Resupply Services program, and Dragon began regular cargo flights in October 2012. With the Dragon spacecraft and the Northrop Grumman ’s Cygnus , NASA sought to increase its partnerships with domestic commercial aviation and aeronautics industry. On 3 June 2017, the C106 capsule, largely assembled from previously flown components from
4278-477: The ISS. Gemini SC-2 capsule is the only other reused capsule, but it was only reflown suborbitally in 1966. CRS-12 , SpaceX's twelfth CRS mission, was successfully launched on the first "Block 4" version of the Falcon 9 on 14 August 2017 from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A at the first attempt. This mission delivered 2,349 kilograms (5,179 lb) of pressurized mass and 961 kilograms (2,119 lb) unpressurized. The external payload manifested for this flight
4371-608: 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. Dragon was the less expensive proposal, 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. In
4464-526: The International Space Station for the American federal space agency, NASA . In 2005, NASA solicited proposals for a commercial ISS resupply cargo vehicle to replace the then-soon-to-be-retired Space Shuttle , through its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) development program. The Dragon space capsule was a part of SpaceX's proposal, submitted to NASA in March 2006. SpaceX's COTS proposal
4557-531: The Pacific Ocean, and was again successfully recovered. On 23 August 2012, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced that SpaceX had completed all required milestones under the COTS contract, and was cleared to begin operational resupply missions to the ISS . Dragon spacecraft can return 3,500 kilograms (7,700 lb) of cargo to Earth , which can be all unpressurized disposal mass, or up to 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb) of pressurized cargo, from
4650-597: The Russian Bion satellites still continue to do so. Launch dates are listed in UTC . Longest time a Dragon Capsule was in space. The following specifications are published by SpaceX for the non-NASA, non-ISS commercial flights of the refurbished Dragon capsules, listed as "DragonLab" flights on the SpaceX manifest. The specifications for the NASA-contracted Dragon Cargo were not included in
4743-704: The Shuttle approached the International Space Station . The DragonEye's lidar and thermography (thermal imaging) abilities were both tested successfully. The COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) and Crew Command Panel (CCP) were delivered to the ISS during the late 2009 STS-129 mission. The CUCU allows the ISS to communicate with Dragon and the CCP allows ISS crew members to issue basic commands to Dragon. In summer 2009, SpaceX hired former NASA astronaut Ken Bowersox as vice president of their new Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance Department, in preparation for crews using
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#17327810593074836-458: The arrival of a Starliner , the Endeavour docked to ISS at Harmony forward port was undocked at 10:45 UTC and relocated to Harmony zenith port on 21 July 2021, at 11:36 UTC. With CRS-23 , ( C208 ) and Inspiration4 ( Resilience ), three Dragon spacecraft were in space at the same time, from 16 to 18 September 2021 (UTC). NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during
4929-462: The brain and eyes, and in determining how arthritis develops. Dragon was launched on its first operational CRS flight on 8 October 2012, and completed the mission successfully on 28 October 2012. NASA initially contracted SpaceX for 12 operational missions, and later extended the CRS contract with 8 more flights, bringing the total to 20 launches until 2019. In 2016, a new batch of 6 missions under
5022-431: 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. 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. In 2024,
5115-412: 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 lb f ) of thrust. Sixteen smaller Draco thrusters placed around the spacecraft control its attitude and perform orbital maneuvers. When the capsule returns to Earth, a PICA-3 heat shield safeguards
5208-837: The cargo flights. During March 2015, it was announced that SpaceX had been awarded an additional three missions under Commercial Resupply Services Phase 1. These additional missions are SpaceX CRS-13 , SpaceX CRS-14 and SpaceX CRS-15 and would cover the cargo needs of 2017. On 24 February 2016, SpaceNews disclosed that SpaceX had been awarded a further five missions under Commercial Resupply Services Phase 1. This additional tranche of missions had SpaceX CRS-16 and SpaceX CRS-17 manifested for FY2017 while SpaceX CRS-18 , SpaceX CRS-19 and SpaceX CRS-20 and were notionally manifested for FY2018. The Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract definition and solicitation period commenced in 2014. In January 2016, NASA awarded contracts to SpaceX , Orbital ATK , and Sierra Nevada Corporation for
5301-442: 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. However, propulsive landing was later cancelled, leaving ocean splashdown under parachutes as the only option. In 2012, SpaceX was in talks with Orbital Outfitters about developing space suits to wear during launch and re-entry. Each crew member wears
5394-479: 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. On 20 April 2019, Crew Dragon C204 , the capsule used in the Demo-1 mission, was destroyed in an explosion during static fire testing at the Landing Zone 1 facility. On the day of the explosion, the initial testing of the Crew Dragon's Draco thrusters
5487-410: The evening of 9 November 2021, the mission set a record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crewed spacecraft, 199 days. On 28 July 2020, JAXA , ESA and NASA confirmed their astronaut assignments aboard this mission. German astronaut Matthias Maurer was the backup for Pesquet, while Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa trained as backup to Hoshide. The second SpaceX operational mission in
5580-425: The final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135 . The first orbital test of Crew Dragon was an uncrewed mission, commonly called "Demo-1" and launched on 2 March 2019. The spacecraft tested the approach and automated docking procedures with the ISS, remained docked until 8 March 2019, then conducted the full re-entry, splashdown and recovery steps to qualify for a crewed mission. Life-support systems were monitored for
5673-566: The first attempt. This was the first launch from SLC-40 since the AMOS-6 pad anomaly. The booster was the previously flown core from the CRS-11 mission. This mission delivered 1,560 kilograms (3,440 lb) of pressurized mass and 645 kilograms (1,422 lb) unpressurized. It returned from orbit and splashdown on 13 January 2018, making it the first space capsule to be reflown to orbit more than once. CRS-14 , SpaceX's fourteenth CRS mission,
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#17327810593075766-450: The first crewed Crew Dragon Demo-2 to the International Space Station would launch on 27 May 2020. 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. The second launch attempt
5859-499: The first crewed flight launched on 30 May 2020 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. These plans were cancelled by September 2019. Space Adventures contracted SpaceX for a five-day high elliptic orbit space tourism mission with
5952-422: The mission, and once docked, a 4th which is currently already on the space station will be added to Dragon". For the first time, Dragon Cargo Dragon C208 performed test reboost of the ISS via its aft-facing Draco thrusters on 8 November 2024 at 17:50 UTC. 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 ",
6045-481: The most challenging atmospheric conditions of the flight trajectory, imposing the worst structural stress of a real flight on the rocket and spacecraft. 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. Earlier, this test had been scheduled before the uncrewed orbital test, however, SpaceX and NASA considered it safer to use
6138-535: 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. 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. Dragon 2 integrates solar arrays directly into
6231-417: 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. The first automated test mission launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on 2 March 2019. After schedule slips,
6324-402: The second Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) program use the Cargo Dragon variant of the Dragon 2 spacecraft, which is capable of fully-automated docking with the ISS. SpaceX began developing the Dragon spacecraft in late 2004, making a public announcement in 2006 with a plan of entering service in 2009. Also in 2006, SpaceX won a contract to use Dragon for commercial resupply services to
6417-480: 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. On 17 April 2020, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced
6510-459: The spacecraft's solar panels and allows the transport of unpressurized cargo to the ISS, was first used for cargo on the SpaceX CRS-2 mission. The spacecraft is launched atop a Falcon 9 booster. The Dragon capsule is equipped with 18 Draco thrusters. During its initial cargo and crew flights, the Dragon capsule will land in the Pacific Ocean and be returned to the shore by ship. For
6603-541: 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. The test objective was to demonstrate the ability to safely move away from the ascending rocket under
6696-407: 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. On the ground, crews enter the capsule through a side hatch. On
6789-525: The spacecraft. As a condition of the NASA CRS contract, SpaceX analyzed the orbital radiation environment on all Dragon systems, and how the spacecraft would respond to spurious radiation events. That analysis and the Dragon design – which uses an overall Fault tolerance triple redundant computer architecture , rather than individual radiation hardening of each computer processor – was reviewed by independent experts before being approved by NASA for
6882-411: The system 100 ms before firing damaged a check valve and resulted in the explosion. 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. The SuperDraco engine test was repeated on 13 November 2019 with Crew Dragon C205 . The test
6975-527: The trunk separation but with the parachutes it was a pretty significant jolt". 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. SpaceX Dragon 1 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
7068-483: 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." The typical Crew Dragon mission includes four astronauts: a commander who leads the mission and has primary responsibility for operating
7161-544: The use of the SuperDraco thrusters for propulsive landing was enabled again, but only as a back-up for parachute emergencies. 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. On 16 September 2014, NASA announced that SpaceX and Boeing had been selected to provide crew transportation to
7254-416: 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
7347-561: The way to starting commercial services under an upcoming ISS Crew Transportation Services contract. On 3 August 2018, NASA announced the crew for the DM-2 mission. 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
7440-587: Was STS-125 , a mission to the Hubble Space Telescope). McArthur used the same seat on the Crew Dragon Endeavour which her husband, Bob Behnken , used on the Demo-2 mission. Akihiko Hoshide served as the second Japanese ISS commander during his stay. It was the second mission by Thomas Pesquet to the International Space Station and was named Alpha , after Alpha Centauri , the closest star system to Earth. To prepare for
7533-582: Was detected after the flight in one of the eight SuperDraco engines causing it to under perform, but did not materially affect the flight. 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. The test vehicle
7626-493: Was first used operationally on the Dragon's CRS-2 mission in March 2013. Its solar arrays produce a peak power of 4 kW . The design was modified beginning with the fifth Dragon flight on the SpaceX CRS-3 mission to the ISS in March 2014. While the outer mold line of the Dragon was unchanged, the avionics and cargo racks were redesigned to supply substantially more electrical power to powered cargo devices, including
7719-491: Was initially called "DragonRider" and it was intended from the beginning to support a crew of seven or a combination of crew and cargo. 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. For typical missions, Crew Dragon will remain docked to
7812-636: Was issued as part of a team, which also included MD Robotics , the Canadian company that had built the ISS's Canadarm2 . On 18 August 2006, NASA announced that SpaceX had been chosen, along with Kistler Aerospace , to develop cargo launch services for the ISS. The initial plan called for three demonstration flights of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft to be conducted between 2008 and 2010. SpaceX and Kistler were to receive up to US$ 278 million and US$ 207 million respectively, if they met all NASA milestones, but Kistler failed to meet its obligations, and its contract
7905-531: 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. During its maiden flight in December 2010, Dragon became the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to be recovered successfully from orbit. On 25 May 2012, Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to successfully rendezvous with and attach to
7998-405: Was successful, showing that the modifications made to the vehicle were successful. 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. 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
8091-450: Was successful, with capsule C206, later named Endeavour by the crew, launching on 30 May 2020 19:22 UTC . The capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station on 31 May 2020 at 14:27 UTC. 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
8184-464: Was successful, with the anomaly occurring during the test of the SuperDraco abort system. 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
8277-617: Was successfully recovered following re-entry to Earth's atmosphere . The mission also marked the second flight of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The DragonEye sensor flew again on STS-133 in February 2011 for further on-orbit testing. In November 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a re-entry license for the Dragon capsule, the first such license ever awarded to a commercial vehicle. The second Dragon flight , also contracted to NASA as
8370-438: Was terminated in 2007. NASA later re-awarded Kistler's contract to Orbital Sciences Corporation . On 23 December 2008, NASA awarded a US$ 1.6 billion Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) contract to SpaceX, with contract options that could potentially increase the maximum contract value to US$ 3.1 billion. The contract called for 12 flights, with an overall minimum of 20,000 kilograms (44,000 lb) of cargo to be carried to
8463-482: Was the CREAM cosmic-ray detector . This was the last flight of a newly built Dragon capsule; further missions used refurbished spacecraft. CRS-13 , SpaceX's thirteenth CRS mission, was the second use of a previously flown Dragon capsule, but the first time in concordance with a reused first-stage booster. It was successfully launched on 15 December 2017 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at
8556-480: Was the same capsule that performed the pad abort test earlier in 2015; it was nicknamed DragonFly . 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 . The Demo-1 mission completed the last milestone of the Commercial Crew Development program, paving
8649-510: Was the third reuse of a previously flown Dragon capsule. It was successfully launched on 2 April 2018 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station SLC-40 . It was successfully berthed to the ISS on 4 April 2018 and remained berthed for a month before returning cargo and science experiments back to Earth . CRS-15 , CRS-16 , CRS-17 , CRS-18 , CRS-19 , and CRS-20 were all flown with previously flown capsules. In 2006, Elon Musk stated that SpaceX had built "a prototype flight crew capsule, including
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