Crew Dragon Overview • Updated April 24, 2021

Crew Dragon

Sending humans to the International Space Station and beyond

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13 'Crew Dragon' stories

March 2020 - April 2021

Crew Dragon is a reusable spacecraft that was developed and manufactured by private space company SpaceX. The spacecraft is a variant of the Dragon 2 platform, specifically designed to carry a crew into orbit or to the International Space Station. It stands at 26.7 feet tall and is equipped with 16 Draco thrusters, each capable of producing 90 pounds of force in the vacuum of space.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft made history in November 2020 when it successfully carried a crew of four to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Crew-1 mission. This achievement not only marked the first operational crewed flight for Crew Dragon, but it also marked the first crewed night launch from the United States in over ten years.

SpaceX plans to continue to use Crew Dragon to carry crews to the ISS, but the company also plans to use the spacecraft to carry space tourists into orbit in the future.

 

 

SpaceX Crew 2 astronauts arrive at a packed ISS

Seth Kurkowski -
NASASpaceXCrew DragonCrew-2Dragon Endeavour

After a day of traveling in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, the Crew 2 astronauts docked with the International Space Station to begin their 6 months stay on the orbiting laboratory. This marked the first time two Crew Dragons were at the station at one time.

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[Gallery] SpaceX launches Crew 2 on a reflown booster and Crew Dragon capsule

Derek Wise -
NASASpaceXCommercial Crew ProgramCrew DragonCrew-2

On April 23rd, at 5:49 ET SpaceX launched a Dragon 2 Crew Capsule to the International Space Station.

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[Update: Launched] SpaceX to send second operational crewed mission to the space station

Seth Kurkowski -
NASASpaceXCommercial Crew ProgramCrew DragonLaunch

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule has been a huge success with the launch of DM-2 and Crew 1 for NASA last year. This year they have two more missions to launch crew rotations to the International Space Station under the Commercial Crew Program with the next coming up this week.

Date: Friday, April 23nd, 5:49 AM EDT

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Russia selects first candidate to likely fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon

Seth Kurkowski -
NASASpaceXCrew DragonRoscosmosCrew 3

During the Shuttle era, NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos worked out a deal to trade seats between the Shuttle and the Russian Soyuz capsule. When the Shuttle retired this deal went away and NASA had to now pay for each seat it was going to take up until NASA could get its Commerical Crew Program up and running.

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Commander Mike Hopkins sharing bunk inside SpaceX Crew Dragon cockpit with Baby Yoda

Zac Hall -

What’s a commander to do when there aren’t enough designated sleeping spots on the International Space Station? Bunk out in the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule with Baby Yoda!

SpaceX launches first operational flight of Crew Dragon capsule with four astronauts bound for ISS

Seth Kurkowski -
NASASpaceXCommercial Crew ProgramCrew DragonInternational Space Station

At 7:27 p.m. EST on Sunday, SpaceX launched astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Soichi Noguchi into space. This marks the first operational flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule and the official transition to commercial transportation to the ISS for NASA. Since the end of the shuttle program in 2011, the U.S. has relied on leasing astronaut seats on Russian rockets to access space.

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[Update: New launch date] NASA targeting October 23 for SpaceX Crew-1 mission pending Crew Dragon certification

Zac Hall -
NASASpaceXFalcon 9Commercial Crew ProgramCrew Dragon

Remember the historic SpaceX rocket launch that sent NASA astronauts to the International Space Station earlier this summer? After the successful demonstration mission, SpaceX is almost ready to start sending astronauts to space regularly through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Today, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the next date when SpaceX will send a crew to the ISS. NASA is targeting no earlier than October 23, 2020, for the upcoming SpaceX Crew-1 mission.

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SpaceX tracking footage captures the moment NASA astronauts splashed down in the Gulf

Zac Hall -

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley returned to Earth after a 64-day mission to the International Space Station on August 2, and we’re still seeing captivating footage of the astronauts’ journey home.

Watch SpaceX troubleshoot iPad issue with NASA astronauts using AirDrop during spaceflight

Zac Hall -
NASASpaceXCrew DragonBob BehnkenAnne Menon

Law breaking boats weren’t the only surprises SpaceX experienced during an otherwise smooth NASA astronaut splashdown over the weekend. An issue involving a custom SpaceX app on the iPad also made a cameo appearance during the crewed return trip from the International Space Station to Earth.

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NASA astronauts returning to Earth from ISS in August after first crewed SpaceX launch in May

Zac Hall -
NASASpaceXFalcon 9Commercial Crew ProgramCrew Dragon

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will depart from the International Space Center in August after becoming the first humans to ever go to space in a SpaceX spacecraft. A successful splashdown will conclude the SpaceX Demo-2 crewed flight test mission to certify the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft for operational missions.

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