Overview
Dragon is a family of partially reusable spacecraft developed by SpaceX. There are two active variants: Crew Dragon (Dragon 2), which carries astronauts to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Programme; and Cargo Dragon, which delivers supplies and experiments to the station. Dragon was the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to be recovered from orbit (2010), the first to dock with the ISS autonomously (2019), and the first commercial vehicle to carry astronauts to orbit (2020).
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Crew Dragon | Cargo Dragon |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | Up to 4 (7 max) | Uncrewed |
| Pressurised Volume | 9.3 m³ | 9.3 m³ + trunk |
| Cargo Capacity (Up) | Limited crew supplies | 6,000 kg pressurised + unpressurised |
| Return Cargo | Crew + samples | 3,000 kg pressurised |
| Diameter | 4 m (13 ft) | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Height | 8.1 m (with trunk) | 8.1 m (with trunk) |
| Mass | ~12,519 kg | ~12,519 kg |
| Launch Vehicle | Falcon 9 | Falcon 9 |
| Docking | Autonomous (IDA) | Autonomous (IDA) |
| Abort System | Integrated SuperDraco (launch escape) | None |
| Reusability | Capsule reused 4+ times | Capsule reused multiple times |
NASA Commercial Crew
Crew Dragon is NASA's primary vehicle for transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The first operational crew rotation mission (Crew-1) launched in November 2020, ending US dependence on Russian Soyuz for crew access. As of 2026, SpaceX has flown 10+ operational Crew missions for NASA, each carrying 4 astronauts for approximately 6-month stays aboard the ISS.
Private Missions
Inspiration4 (2021): The first all-civilian orbital mission — four private citizens spent 3 days in orbit at 585 km altitude, higher than the ISS.
Axiom Missions: A series of private missions to the ISS, with Axiom Space purchasing flights from SpaceX. These missions carry private astronauts and commercial researchers to the station.
Polaris Programme: A privately funded series of missions led by Jared Isaacman. Polaris Dawn (2024) achieved the first commercial EVA (spacewalk) and flew to the highest altitude of any crewed mission since Apollo — approximately 1,400 km.
Abort System
Crew Dragon features an integrated launch escape system using eight SuperDraco engines built into the capsule walls. Unlike traditional tower-mounted abort systems, SuperDraco can fire at any point during ascent to pull the capsule away from a failing rocket. This system was successfully tested in an in-flight abort demonstration in January 2020.
Reusability
Dragon capsules are designed for multiple flights. Individual Crew Dragon capsules have been reused up to 4 times, with refurbishment between missions. The trunk (unpressurised cargo section) is expendable and burns up during re-entry. The heat shield uses PICA-X (Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator), developed by SpaceX based on NASA's PICA material.