SpaceX Dragon 1
Dragon, also known as Dragon 1 or Cargo Dragon, was 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 was launched into orbit by the company's Falcon 9 launch vehicle to resupply the International Space Station (ISS).
Dragon approaching the International Space Station during the CRS-20 mission, the last flight of the Dragon 1 | |||
| Manufacturer | SpaceX | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States | ||
| Operator | SpaceX | ||
| Applications | ISS logistics | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Dry mass | 4,201 kilograms (9,262 lb) | ||
| Payload capacity | to ISS 3,310 kilograms (7,300 lb), which can be all pressurized, all unpressurized or anywhere between. It can return to Earth 3,500 kilograms (7,700 lb), which can be all unpressurized disposal mass or up to 3,000 kilograms (6,600 lb) of return pressurized cargo | ||
| Crew capacity | 0 | ||
| Volume | 10 cubic metres (350 cu ft) pressurized 14 cubic metres (490 cu ft) unpressurized 34 cubic metres (1,200 cu ft) unpressurized with extended trunk | ||
| Dimensions | |||
| Length | 6.1 metres (20 ft) | ||
| Diameter | 3.7 metres (12 ft) | ||
| Production | |||
| Status | Retired | ||
| Built | 14 | ||
| Launched | 23 | ||
| Lost | 1 | ||
| Maiden launch | 8 December 2010 (first orbital flight) 22 May 2012 (first cargo delivery to ISS) | ||
| Last launch | 7 March 2020 | ||
| Related spacecraft | |||
| Derivatives |
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| Dragon RCS | |||
| Propellant | NTO / MMH | ||
| |||
| Original author(s) | SpaceX |
|---|---|
| Written in | C++ |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Platform | x86 (judge) PowerPC (actor) |
| Included with | Dragon spacecraft |
| Size | Around 100K source lines |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Application-specific system software |
| License | Closed source, internal use |
| Part of a series on |
| Private spaceflight |
|---|
| Active companies |
| Active vehicles |
| Contracts and programs |
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 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 Orbital ATK 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 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 mission was SpaceX' last mission its first Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-1) program, and marked the retirement of the Dragon 1 fleet. Further SpaceX commercial resupply flights to ISS under the second Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-2) program use the Cargo Dragon variant of the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft.