SpaceX Dragon 2

Dragon 2 is a class of partially reusable spacecraft built and run by the American space company SpaceX. It flies to the International Space Station and on private spaceflight missions. The spacecraft has two versions: the 4-person Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon, which replaces the older Dragon 1 cargo capsule.

The Crew Dragon’s main job is to carry astronauts to and from the ISS. This job was done by the Space Shuttle until it was retired in 2011. The Crew Dragon also carries people on commercial trips to the ISS and other places, such as Axiom Space’s planned space station.

The Cargo Dragon brings supplies to the ISS for NASA under a Commercial Resupply Services-2 agreement. As of January 2025, it is the only reusable orbital cargo spacecraft in use. The spacecraft launches on top of a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket and returns to Earth by splashdown.

Development and variants

There are two types of Dragon 2 spacecraft: Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon. Crew Dragon was first called "DragonRider" and was made to carry up to seven people or a mix of people and supplies. Unlike older spacecraft that needed help from space station crew to connect, Dragon 2 can connect by itself to the International Space Station using a special docking port. It can stay connected for about 180 days, but it can stay even longer, up to 210 days, just like the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

Crew Dragon

The Crew Dragon is a special spacecraft made by SpaceX that can fly people to space all by itself. It can hold up to seven astronauts, but usually, it carries two to four people. If something goes wrong during launch, special engines called SuperDraco can push the spacecraft away to keep the crew safe.

Originally, SpaceX planned to land the Crew Dragon on solid ground, but they changed their plan. Now, the spacecraft comes back to Earth by splashing down in the ocean using parachutes. Astronauts wear special space suits made from strong, fire-proof material to stay safe during the trip.

The design of the Crew Dragon was shown to the public in 2014 in Hawthorne, California. NASA picked it to carry American astronauts to the International Space Station. SpaceX keeps making new parts and even built a fifth capsule to be ready for future flights.

Cargo Dragon

Dragon 2 was designed to carry people, or with fewer seats, both people and supplies. The version for supplies, called Cargo Dragon, started after 2014 when NASA asked for more ways to bring supplies to the space station between 2020 and 2024. In January 2016, SpaceX got six jobs to do these supply trips, called CRS-2. By August 2025, Cargo Dragon had finished ten trips to and from the space station, with more trips coming.

Cargo Dragons do not have seats, controls for astronauts, or special engines for safety. They improve on the older Dragon design, making it easier to get them ready for another trip. Since 2021, Cargo Dragon can give power to some science projects, saving space on the space station. In 2024, a Cargo Dragon helped push the space station higher with special engines.

There are plans for a special Cargo Dragon to help bring the space station down safely into the ocean when its job is done. NASA wants to use this in 2030.

Design

SpaceX created the Dragon 2 to be reused many times, helping to make space travel more affordable. It has two main parts: a capsule that can be used again and a trunk that is thrown away after each trip.

The Dragon 2 can carry up to four astronauts, but it can also fly with just two if needed. In emergencies, it can bring up to seven astronauts back to Earth. The capsule has special engines for safe escapes and can land safely even if there is a small leak. When it comes back to Earth, it uses parachutes to slow down before splashing into the water.

Crewed flights

The Crew Dragon is used by both private companies and government agencies. Companies like Axiom Space use it to send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and plan to use it for their own private space station. NASA missions to the ISS carry four astronauts and also bring supplies.

In 2014, NASA chose SpaceX and Boeing to help carry astronauts to the ISS. SpaceX received up to US$2.6 billion to develop and fly test missions and up to six regular flights. Although SpaceX’s proposal was less expensive, their first regular flight, SpaceX Crew-1, happened in November 2020 after several test flights. Boeing faced delays and problems, with its first regular flight expected no earlier than 2026.

NASA buys space travel services from SpaceX, including building, launching, and operating the Dragon 2, instead of directly running the spacecraft themselves.

NASA also changed how fuel is loaded for these missions. For the Falcon 9 rocket, fuels are loaded just before launch to keep them very cold. This is different from older NASA rockets where fuels were loaded hours before launch. The first uncrewed test flight, Demo-1, went to the ISS on March 2, 2019. The first flight with astronauts, Demo-2, launched on May 30, 2020.

Testing

SpaceX planned four important tests for the Crew Dragon: a pad abort test, an uncrewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS), an in-flight abort test, and finally a crewed flight to the ISS.

The pad abort test happened on May 6, 2015. During this test, the Dragon was launched safely into the ocean from a launch site. A test dummy was inside to measure forces on the crew seat.

The first orbital test, called Demo-1, was an uncrewed mission launched on March 2, 2019. It tested how the spacecraft could approach and connect to the ISS, then leave and land in the ocean.

Unfortunately, on April 20, 2019, the Crew Dragon exploded during a test on the ground. This delayed later tests.

The in-flight abort test happened on January 19, 2020. This test showed that the Dragon could safely move away from a failing rocket during flight. The Dragon landed in the Atlantic Ocean after the test.

The crewed test, Demo-2, launched on May 30, 2020, with astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. This was the first time astronauts launched from the U.S. to the ISS since 2011. The Dragon docked with the ISS and later returned safely to Earth in the Atlantic Ocean.

List of vehicles

The following is a list of prototype, Crew Dragon, and Cargo Dragon vehicles.

List of flights

This list shows only finished or planned trips. The dates are given in UTC, and for future trips, they are the earliest possible chances, which might change.

Crew Dragon flights

Cargo Dragon flights

Timeline

The Crew Dragon has completed 14 missions for NASA and 7 private missions with people. The Cargo Dragon has done 13 cargo trips for NASA. The Demo-1 mission is not included here for shorter reading.