Dragon: SpaceX Workhorse Crew And Cargo Spacecraft

The Dragon spacecraft, also known as the pressurized section, is equipped with 16 Draco thrusters used to orient the spacecraft during the mission, including apogee/perigee maneuvers, orbit adjustment, and attitude control. Each Draco thruster is capable of generating 90 pounds of force in the vacuum of space. Additionally, the spacecraft has 8 SuperDraco engines that provide fault-tolerant propulsion for the launch escape system.

Each of the 16 thrusters generates 90 pounds (400 N) of force in a vacuum. While each of the SuperDraco Engines (Crew Dragon only) -- 8 engines in four redundant pairs for the launch escape system -- produces 71 kN (16,000 lbf) of thrust, enabling rapid separation from the Falcon 9 in emergencies (acceleration up to 11.8 m/s²), with total thrust capability of 120,000 lbf for emergency aborts.

A service section located at the capsule’s base, contains composite-carbon-overwrap titanium spherical tanks for propellant and helium pressurant used in emergency aborts and orbital maneuvers.

The pressurized capsule consists of the main crew or cargo compartment, designed to operate in a vacuum. Crew Dragon features a four-screen glass cockpit with a central physical control panel for manual override, and is equipped with an Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) by Paragon Space Development Corporation for crew comfort. It can withstand a leak up to a 6.35 mm diameter orifice during reentry.

The spacecraft allows for the transport of people as well as environmentally sensitive cargo. The spacecraft can be operated in full vacuum, and the crew wears SpaceX-designed space suits to protect them from a rapid cabin depressurization emergency event.

Dragon’s trunk not only carries unpressurized cargo but also supports the spacecraft during ascent. One half of the trunk is covered in solar panels that provide power to Dragon during flight and while on the International Space Station (ISS). The trunk remains attached to Dragon until shortly before reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.

The trunk for unpressurized cargo or secondary payloads houses solar arrays (redesigned for Dragon 2) for power generation during flight and while docked. It is protected by side fairings during launch, detached before reentry to burn up in the atmosphere.

Dragon 2 also includes an IDSS-compatible docking port to dock to the International Docking Adapter ports on the ISS, allowing for fully autonomous rendezvous and docking with manual override ability. A Nose Cone protects the docking port and four forward-facing Draco thrusters during ascent and reentry; and pivots open for in-space operations, enabling autonomous docking with the ISS.

The heat shield used for the spacraft is made of PICA-X (phenolic-impregnated carbon ablator), a SpaceX proprietary material derived from NASA’s design. It is reusable multiple times without significant degradation, capable of withstanding reentry from lunar or Martian trajectories.

The Dragon 2 spacecraft, which includes the Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon variants, has a payload capacity of 3,307 kg to the ISS. The Cargo Dragon variant has been used for resupply missions to the ISS under a Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract with NASA.

The spacecraft can 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.

Dragon which is launched atop Falcon 9, is designed to be reusable, with the capability to be used for up to fifteen missions, as of March 2024. Dragon's design incorporates innovative choices, such as integrating critical systems within the capsule for reuse, eliminating the need for a traditional, disposable escape tower.

The spacecraft is capable of returning significant amounts of cargo to Earth, making it the only spacecraft currently flying that can do so.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft family includes Dragon 1 (retired), Dragon 2 (with Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon variants), and Dragon XL (in development).

Versatile Dragon 2 upports ISS resupply, crew transport, private missions (e.g., Axiom Space), and potential space tourism (e.g., Space Adventures). It is capable of free-flying low Earth orbit (LEO) missions, polar orbits, and up to **1,400 km apogee.

Dragon 2 can support extravehicular activity(EVA) and Space station reboosting. Cargo Dragon can perform ISS reboosting, with enhanced capabilities in the CRS-33 mission (2025) to test features for the ISS Deorbit Vehicle.

An ISS deorbit vehicle, a unique Cargo Dragon variant with an enhanced trunk and 46 Draco thrusters is under development for a 2030 mission to deorbit the ISS safely.

Dragon 1 flew 23 cargo missions from 2010 to 2020, retiring after CRS-20. Dragon 2’s first crewed flight (Demo-2) in May 2020 marked the first private crewed orbital mission.