Dragon (spacecraft)
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| Artist's rendering of the cargo variant of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft (bottom) berthing to the International Space Station International Space Station The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes... (top). |
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| Description | ||
| Role: | Commercial Private spaceflight Private spaceflight is flight above Earth altitude conducted by and paid for by an entity other than a government. In the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology augmented by collaboration with affiliated design... : various roles that put human Human Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus... s and cargo into LEO Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... Government State (polity) A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union... : supply the International Space Station International Space Station The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes... after retirement of the Shuttle |
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| Crew: | Dragon Cargo: 0 Dragon Crew: 7 |
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| Carrier Rocket: | Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... |
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| Dimensions | ||
| Height: | 2.9 m | 9.51 ft |
| Diameter: | 3.6 m | 11.8 ft |
| Sidewall angle: | 15 degrees | |
| Pressurized Volume: | 10 m3 | 353 cu ft |
| Unpressurized Volume: | 14 m3 | 494 cu ft |
| Unpressurized Volume (with additional trunk extended): |
34 m3 | 1,200 cu ft |
| Mass: | 4,200 kg | 9,260 lb |
| Launch Payload: | 6,000 kg | 13,228 lb |
| Return Payload: | 3,000 kg | 6,614 lb |
| Performance | ||
| Endurance: | 1 week to 2 years | |
| Re-entry: | 3.5 g's G-force The g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and... |
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The Dragon is a reusable spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
developed by SpaceX
SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California...
, a private space transportation
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
company based in Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne, California
Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city at the 2010 census had a population of 84,293, up from 84,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. During its unmanned maiden flight in December 2010, it became the first commercially-built and -operated spacecraft to ever be successfully recovered from orbit.
The Dragon is contracted to deliver cargo to the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS) under NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Commercial Resupply Services program. Additionally, NASA awarded SpaceX a Commercial Crew Development astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
-transportation contract in April 2011. The Dragon is designed to carry up to seven astronauts, or a mixture of personnel and cargo, to and from low Earth orbit
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
. The Dragon's heat shield is furthermore designed to withstand re-entry velocities from potential lunar
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
and Martian
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
space flights, for which it has been proposed as a crew vehicle.
Design
The Dragon is a conventional blunt-cone ballistic capsuleSpace capsule
A space capsule is an often manned spacecraft which has a simple shape for the main section, without any wings or other features to create lift during atmospheric reentry....
with a nose-cone cap that jettisons to reveal a standard International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS) Common Berthing Mechanism
Common Berthing Mechanism
The common berthing mechanism is a berthing mechanism used to connect all non-Russian pressurized modules of the International Space Station....
. This mechanism allows the The Dragon to be captured by the Space Station Remote Manipulator System and berthed to the non-Russian segment
Russian Orbital Segment
The Russian Orbital Segment is the name given to the components of the International Space Station constructed in Russia and operated by the Russian Federal Space Agency...
s of the ISS
ISS
The ISS is the International Space Station.ISS may also refer to:* I See Stars, an American electronic rock band* ISS A/S, a Danish service company* Idea Star Singer, a Malayalam music reality show by Asianet TV...
. The manned variant of the Dragon will use the NASA Docking System (NDS) for docking.
The Dragon capsule is launched atop a Falcon 9
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants...
rocket. SpaceX has built a full-sized prototype of the capsule and "thoroughly tested" its life support system
Life support system
In human spaceflight, a life support system is a group of devices that allow a human being to survive in space.US government space agency NASA,and private spaceflight companies...
. During its initial cargo and crew flights, the Dragon will land in the sea and be air-lifted to the shore by helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, although SpaceX plans to eventually install deployable landing gear and use 8 upgraded SuperDraco thrusters to perform a land-based landing.
Development
Development started on the Dragon capsule in 2005. In 2006, SpaceX was contracted by NASA to begin demonstration flights of the capsule under the COTSCOTS
COTS may refer to:* Commercial off-the-shelf, ready-made products* Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, a program for delivery to space* Crest of the Stars, a manga/anime space opera.* Crown-of-thorns starfish, a reef-coral predator...
program (see NASA partnership). In June 2009, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is an American engineer and entrepreneur heritage best known for co-founding PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors. He is currently the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors and Chairman of SolarCity...
stated that the company planned to conduct the maiden flight
Maiden flight
The maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. This is similar to a ship's maiden voyage....
of the Dragon spacecraft in 2009, and have the capsule enter service in 2010, before the scheduled final flight of the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
. However, the Dragon's maiden flight did not ultimately occur until December 2010, and the Space Shuttle was retired in July 2011, prior to the beginning of the Dragon's commercial operations.
On 23 February 2009, SpaceX announced that its chosen heat shield material, PICA-X (a proprietary variant of NASA's phenolic impregnated carbon ablator material), had passed heat stress tests in preparation for the Dragon's maiden launch. In 2010, Elon Musk stated that the Dragon "is capable of re-entering from a Lunar velocity, or even a Mars velocity with the heat shield that it has."
The first flight of a stripped-down version of the Dragon capsule occurred in June 2010, during the Falcon 9
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants...
rocket's maiden flight. This Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit
Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit
The Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit was a boilerplate version of the Dragon spacecraft manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. After using it for ground tests to rate Dragon's shape and mass in various tests, SpaceX launched it into low-Earth orbit on...
was originally used as a non-flying test bed to validate several of the capsule's systems. During its first flight, the unit's primary mission was to relay aerodynamic data captured during the ascent. The Dragon spacecraft itself first flew on 8 December 2010, during the second flight of the Falcon 9.
The docking target system for the Dragon module, the DragonEye, was tested in 2009 during the STS-127
STS-127
STS-127 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station . It was the twenty-third flight of . The primary purpose of the STS-127 mission was to deliver and install the final two components of the Japanese Experiment Module: the Exposed Facility , and the Exposed Section of the...
Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
mission, when it was mounted near Space Shuttle Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States. Endeavour was the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger...
's docking port and used while the shuttle approached the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
. The DragonEye's LIDAR
LIDAR
LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
and thermal imaging
Thermography
Infrared thermography, thermal imaging, and thermal video are examples of infrared imaging science. Thermal imaging cameras detect radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms...
capabilities were both tested successfully. The DragonEye flew again on STS-133
STS-133
STS-133 was the 133rd mission in NASA's Space Shuttle program; during the mission, Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station. It was Discoverys 39th and final mission. The mission launched on 24 February 2011, and landed on 9 March 2011...
in February 2011 for further on-orbit testing.
On 22 November 2010, NASA announced that the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) had issued a reentry license for the Dragon capsule, the first such license ever awarded to a commercial vehicle.
In summer 2009, SpaceX hired former NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut Ken Bowersox
Ken Bowersox
Kenneth Dwane "Sox" Bowersox is an engineer, United States Naval officer, and a former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of five Space Shuttle missions and an extended stay aboard the International Space Station....
as vice president of their new Astronaut Safety and Mission Assurance Department, in preparation for manned use of the spacecraft.
In 2009 and 2010, Elon Musk suggested on several occasions that plans for a manned variant of the Dragon were proceeding and had a 2–3 year timeline to completion.
NASA partnership
Commercial cargo transport contracts
In 2005, NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
solicited commercial rocket companies to submit proposals for its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services is a NASA program to coordinate the delivery of crew and cargo to the International Space Station by private companies. The program was announced on January 18, 2006...
(COTS) program, which entails the commercial resupply of the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS), replacing the now-retired
Space Shuttle retirement
The retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle fleet took place from March to July 2011. Discovery was the first of the three active space shuttles to be retired, completing its final mission on March 9, 2011; Space Shuttle Endeavour did so on June 1...
Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
. The Dragon spacecraft was part of SpaceX's proposal, submitted to NASA in March 2006. SpaceX's team for the COTS proposal consisted of a number of companies including MD Robotics, and the Canadian company that built the ISS's Mobile Servicing System
Mobile Servicing System
The Mobile Servicing System , better known by its primary component Canadarm2, is a robotic system and associated equipment on the International Space Station...
.
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 capsule to be conducted between 2008 and 2010. SpaceX and Kistler were to receive up to $278 million if they met all NASA milestones, but Kistler failed to meet its obligations, and its contract was terminated in 2007. NASA decided to re-award Kistler's portion of the contract after a competition. On 19 February 2008 NASA announced that it had chosen Orbital Sciences as the new winner.
NASA awarded a cargo delivery contract to SpaceX on 23 December 2008. The contract called for a minimum of 20000 kg (44,092.5 lb) of cargo to be carried to the ISS over the course of up to 12 flights, at a cost of US$1.6 billion, with options that potentially increased the maximum contract value to $3.1 billion.
The first of the three contracted demonstration flights was successfully flown on 8 December 2010. A second flight
COTS Demo Flight 2
Dragon C2, also known as COTS Demo Flight 2, is a planned second test-flight for SpaceX's unpiloted Dragon cargo spacecraft, and the third overall flight for the company's two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle....
is scheduled to occur in January 2012.
Commercial crew development contracts
In December 2010, SpaceX submitted a proposal under a different NASA solicitation to help NASA transport astronautAstronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
s to the International Space Station after Space Shuttle retirement
Space Shuttle retirement
The retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle fleet took place from March to July 2011. Discovery was the first of the three active space shuttles to be retired, completing its final mission on March 9, 2011; Space Shuttle Endeavour did so on June 1...
. Under phase 2 of the NASA Commercial Crew Development
Commercial Crew Development
Commercial Crew Development is a multiphase space technology development program, funded by the U.S. government, and administered by NASA. The program is intended to stimulate development of privately operated crew vehicles to low Earth orbit. It is run by the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program...
program, SpaceX proposes to develop an "integrated launch abort system
Launch escape system
A Launch Escape System is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of emergency. Since the escape rockets are above the crew module, an LES typically uses separate nozzles which are...
design" for the Dragon spacecraft, with several claimed advantages over the more traditional tractor tower approaches used on all prior manned space capsules. These advantages include:
- the provision of crew escape capability "all the way to orbit"
- reusability, since the integrated escape system returns to earth with the spacecraft, and reduces mission cost
- improved crew safety, due to the elimination of one "separation event" from the launch profile
- escape engines which may be usable during the landing phase "for a precise land landing of Dragon under rocket power." The emergency parachuteParachuteA parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
will be retained in this design as a redundant backup landing system.
A video simulation of this escape system's operation was released in January 2011. According to Elon Musk, the developmental cost of a crewed Dragon and Falcon 9 would be between $800 million and $1 billion.
In April 2011, NASA announced that SpaceX would receive $75 million under the CCDev 2 program to advance the development of its side-mounted launch abort system and crew transportation capsule. The CCDev 2 program between NASA and SpaceX began in April 2011 and will run until May 2012. NASA is aiming to be able to fly commercial vehicles to the ISS by 2016. SpaceX's launch abort system received preliminary design approval from NASA in October 2011.
"Red Dragon" Mars mission
, NASA Ames Research Center is developing a concept for a low-cost Mars-exploration mission utilising a Falcon HeavyFalcon Heavy
Falcon Heavy, previously known as the Falcon 9 Heavy, is a spaceflight launch system that uses rocket engines currently being designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of the two-stage-to-orbit vehicles use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants...
as the launch vehicle and trans-Martian injection vehicle, and the Dragon capsule to enter the Martian atmosphere and house the Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
surface science experiments. The concept would be proposed in 2012/2013 as a NASA Discovery mission
Discovery Program
NASA's Discovery Program is a series of lower-cost, highly-focused American scientific space missions that are exploring the Solar System. It was founded in 1992 to implement then-NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin's vision of "faster, better, cheaper" planetary missions...
for launch in 2018 and arrival at Mars several months later. The science objectives of the mission would include the search for evidence of life on Mars
Life on Mars
Scientists have long speculated about the possibility of life on Mars owing to the planet's proximity and similarity to Earth. Fictional Martians have been a recurring feature of popular entertainment of the 20th and 21st centuries, but it remains an open question whether life currently exists on...
— detecting "molecules that are proof of life, like DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
or perchlorate reductase
Perchlorate
Perchlorates are the salts derived from perchloric acid . They occur both naturally and through manufacturing. They have been used as a medicine for more than 50 years to treat thyroid gland disorders. They are used extensively within the pyrotechnics industry, and ammonium perchlorate is also a...
... proof of life through biomolecules. ... Red Dragon would drill 3.3 feet (1 m) or so underground, in an effort to sample reservoirs of water ice known to lurk under the red dirt." The mission cost is projected to be less than , not including the launch cost.
Maiden flight
On 8 December 2010, a Falcon 9Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants...
rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, carrying an unmanned SpaceX Dragon on COTS Demo Flight 1. The launch was a success, and the Dragon cleanly separated from the Falcon approximately 10 minutes after launch. Three hours of orbital maneuvering tests were conducted at an altitude of 300 km (186.4 mi; 162 nmi) before a deorbit burn was conducted, putting the Dragon on a re-entry course that ended in a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, approximately 800 km (497.1 mi; 432 nmi) west of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's Pacific coast.
SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell stated that this was the first of three primary flight tests under the NASA COTS contract. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden offered his congratulations to SpaceX on the company's successful mission.
Though the Dragon capsule transported neither passengers nor practical cargo, the Space X team launched the spacecraft with a small piece of secret payload. It was revealed more than a day after the successful flight that the secret cargo was a wheel of Le Brouère
Le Brouère
Le Brouère is a French cheese, originally from Lorraine. It is made by the dairy of the Bulgnéville hermitage in Vosges départment. A typical round is about in diameter and weighs . It is shaped in wooden molds with patterns created by an artisan sculptor. Maturation time is 4 to 7 months...
cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
. The stunt was said to be an homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the well-known Cheese Shop sketch
Cheese Shop sketch
The Cheese Shop is a well-known sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus.It appears in episode 33, "Salad Days". The script for the sketch is included in the book The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus : All the Words, Volume 2.-Origins:...
from the British comedy series, Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
. SpaceX's CEO did not reveal the identity of the cargo during the post-splashdown news conference, for fear of the joke overshadowing the company's accomplishments.
Specifications
The Dragon spacecraft can carry up to seven passengers in its crew configurationor 6000 kg (13,227.7 lb) and 24 m³ (847.6 cu ft) of payload, optionally extensible to 44 m³ (1,553.8 cu ft), to LEO
Low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km...
in its cargo configuration
General specifications for the spacecraft that apply to both its crew and cargo configurations include:
- 18 DracoDraco (rocket engine)Draco is a small hypergolic rocket engine designed by SpaceX for use on their Dragon spacecraftand the upper stage of their Falcon 9 rocket.-Performance and use:...
thrusters, dual-redundant in all axes: any two can fail without compromising the vehicle's control over its pitch, yaw, roll and translationFlight dynamicsFlight dynamics is the science of air vehicle orientation and control in three dimensions. The three critical flight dynamics parameters are the angles of rotation in three dimensions about the vehicle's center of mass, known as pitch, roll and yaw .Aerospace engineers develop control systems for...
. - A PICA-X heat shieldHeat shieldA heat shield is designed to shield a substance from absorbing excessive heat from an outside source by either dissipating, reflecting or simply absorbing the heat...
, designed to withstand Earth atmospheric reentryAtmospheric reentryAtmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,...
, even at high return velocities from LunarMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
and MartianMartianAs an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
destinations.
Uncrewed version
Dragon CargoWhen used for contract space cargo transportation to and from the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, the uncrewed version of the Dragon spacecraft is referred to as the Dragon Cargo. , the SpaceX launch manifest lists 12 Dragon Cargo missions contracted to NASA for ISS resupply – two per year in 2012 and 2013, three during 2014, and five scheduled for 2015.
DragonLab
When used for commercial
Private spaceflight
Private spaceflight is flight above Earth altitude conducted by and paid for by an entity other than a government. In the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology augmented by collaboration with affiliated design...
(non-NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, non-ISS
ISS
The ISS is the International Space Station.ISS may also refer to:* I See Stars, an American electronic rock band* ISS A/S, a Danish service company* Idea Star Singer, a Malayalam music reality show by Asianet TV...
) flights, the uncrewed version of the Dragon spacecraft is named DragonLab.
It is reusable and free-flying, and is capable of carrying both pressurized and unpressurized payloads. Its subsystems include propulsion, power, thermal and environmental control, avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
, communications, thermal protection, flight software, guidance and navigation systems
Guidance, Navigation and Control
Guidance, navigation and control is a branch of engineering dealing with the design of systems to control the movement of vehicles, especially, automobiles, ships, aircraft, and spacecraft. In many cases these functions can be performed by trained humans...
, and entry, descent, landing, and recovery gear." It has a total combined up-mass of 6000 kilograms (13,227.7 lb) upon launch, and a maximum down-mass of 3000 kilograms (6,613.9 lb) when returning to Earth. , there are two DragonLab missions listed on the SpaceX launch manifest: one in 2014 and another in 2015.
General specifications
Pressure vessel interior pressurized, environmentally-controlled, payload volume.- Onboard environment: 10–46 °C (50–114.8 F); relative humidityRelative humidityRelative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
25~75%; 13.9~14.9 psia air pressure (958.4~1027 hPaPascal (unit)The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
).
Unpressurized sensor bay (recoverable payload)
- 0.1 m3 (4 cu ft) unpressurized payload volume.
- Sensor bay hatch opens after orbital insertion to allow full sensor access to the space environmentOuter spaceOuter space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
, and closes prior to reentry to Earth's atmosphere.
Unpressurized trunk (non-recoverable) payload volume in the 2.3 metre trunk, aft of the pressure vessel heat shield, with optional trunk extension to 4.3 metre total length, payload volume increases to 34 cubic metres (1,200.7 cu ft).
- Supports sensors and space apertures up to 3.5 metre in diameter.
Power, telemetry and command systems
- Power: twin solar panels providing 1,500 WWattThe watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
average, 4000 W peak, at 28 and 120 VDCVoltThe volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
. - Spacecraft communications: commercial standard RS-422 and military standard 1553MIL-STD-1553MIL-STD-1553 is a military standard published by the United States Department of Defense that defines the mechanical, electrical, and functional characteristics of a serial data bus. It was originally designed for use with military avionics, but has also become commonly used in spacecraft on-board...
serial I/O, plus EthernetEthernetEthernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks commercially introduced in 1980. Standardized in IEEE 802.3, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies....
communications for IPInternet ProtocolThe Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
-addressable standard payload service. - Command uplinkUplinkA telecommunications link is generally one of several types of information transmission paths such as those provided by communication satellites to connect two points on earth.-Uplink:...
: 300 kbps. - TelemetryTelemetryTelemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
/data downlink: 300 Mbps standard, fault-tolerantFault-tolerant systemFault-tolerance or graceful degradation is the property that enables a system to continue operating properly in the event of the failure of some of its components. A newer approach is progressive enhancement...
S-band telemetry and video transmitters.
Production
, the SpaceX production line is manufacturing one new Dragon spacecraft every three months.See also
- Human-carrying spacecraft – descriptions of other proposed vehicles similar to Dragon Crew
- CST-100 – a spacecraft being developed by BoeingBoeingThe Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, in collaboration with Bigelow AerospaceBigelow AerospaceBigelow Aerospace is a North Las Vegas, Nevada space technology startup company that is pioneering work on expandable space station modules. Bigelow Aerospace was founded by Robert Bigelow in 1998... - Dream Chaser – a spaceplane being developed by Sierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada Corporation is an electronic systems provider and systems integrator specializing in microsatellites, energy, telemedicine, nanotechnology, and commercial orbital transportation services. The company contracts with the US military, NASA and private spaceflight companies. The company...
- As-yet-unnamed "biconic nose cone designNose cone designGiven the problem of the aerodynamic design of the nose cone section of any vehicle or body meant to travel through a compressible fluid medium , an important problem is the determination of the nose cone geometrical shape for optimum performance...
orbital vehicle" being developed by by Jeff BezosJeff BezosJeffrey Preston "Jeff" Bezos is the founder, president, chief executive officer , and chairman of the board of Amazon.com.-Early life and background:...
's Blue OriginBlue OriginBlue Origin is a privately funded aerospace company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The company was awarded $3.7 million in funding in 2009 by NASA via a Space Act Agreement under the Commercial Crew Development program for development of concepts and technologies to support future human...
... not to be confused with the Blue Origin New ShepardBlue Origin New ShepardThe Blue Origin New Shepard reusable launch vehicle is a vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing , suborbital manned rocket that is being developed by Blue Origin, a company owned by Amazon.com founder and businessman Jeff Bezos, as a commercial system for suborbital space tourism.The New Shepard makes...
"vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing (VTVLVTVLVertical takeoff, vertical landing is a form of takeoff and landing using rockets . Multiple VTVL craft have flown. , at least five VTVL rocket vehicles are currently under development at four different aerospace companies...
), suborbital manned rocket" also being developed by Blue Origin - Multi-Purpose Crew VehicleMulti-Purpose Crew VehicleThe Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is a planned spacecraft that is being built by Lockheed Martin for NASA, the space agency of the United States, based on designs and tests already completed for the Orion spacecraft. The MPCV was announced by NASA on May 24, 2011...
– a spacecraft which is being designed by Lockheed MartinLockheed MartinLockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
for NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
- CST-100 – a spacecraft being developed by Boeing
- Unmanned resupply spacecraftUnmanned resupply spacecraftUnmanned resupply spacecraft are a special kind of robotic spacecraft that operate autonomously without a human crew, designed to support space station operation...
– descriptions of other vehicles similar to Dragon Cargo- Automated Transfer VehicleAutomated Transfer VehicleThe Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV is an expendable, unmanned resupply spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency . ATVs are designed to supply the International Space Station with propellant, water, air, payload and experiments...
– a similar cargo vehicle developed by ESAEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
in use currently. - Cygnus spacecraftCygnus spacecraftThe Cygnus spacecraft is an unmanned resupply spacecraft being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation and Thales Alenia Space as part of NASA's COTS project. It is designed to transport supplies to the International Space Station after the retirement of the Space Shuttle...
– a similar cargo vehicle under development by Orbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences CorporationOrbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems... - H-II Transfer VehicleH-II Transfer VehicleThe H-II Transfer Vehicle , called , is an unmanned resupply spacecraft used to resupply the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module and the International Space Station . The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been working on the design since the early 1990s. The first mission, HTV-1, was originally...
– similar cargo vehicle developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyJapan Aerospace Exploration AgencyThe , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the...
in use currently. - Progress spacecraft – a similar cargo vehicle developed by Russian Federal Space AgencyRussian Federal Space AgencyThe Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located...
in use currently.
- Automated Transfer Vehicle
- Human spaceflight programs
- Private spaceflightPrivate spaceflightPrivate spaceflight is flight above Earth altitude conducted by and paid for by an entity other than a government. In the early decades of the Space Age, the government space agencies of the Soviet Union and United States pioneered space technology augmented by collaboration with affiliated design...
- Splashdown (spacecraft landing)Splashdown (spacecraft landing)Splashdown is the method of landing a spacecraft by parachute in a body of water. It was used by American manned spacecraft prior to the Space Shuttle program. It is also possible for the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft to land in water, though this is only a contingency...
- COTS Demo Flight 1, the Dragon's successful maiden flight, conducted in December 2010
- COTS Demo Flight 2COTS Demo Flight 2Dragon C2, also known as COTS Demo Flight 2, is a planned second test-flight for SpaceX's unpiloted Dragon cargo spacecraft, and the third overall flight for the company's two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle....
- COTS Demo Flight 3COTS Demo Flight 3Dragon C3, also known as COTS Demo Flight 3 , is a proposed third test-flight for SpaceX's unpiloted Dragon cargo spacecraft, and the fourth overall flight of the company's two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle...