How Did SpaceX Develop Their Dragon Spacecraft?

Written By Joshua G for Onkla

SpaceX is one of the only companies that currently launches their own spacecraft to the International Space Station. SpaceX uses their Dragon spacecraft to reach the space station.

The Dragon spacecraft began to be researched in 2005 after NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) solicited proposals for a new resupply vehicle which could reach the space station, so America wouldn't have to rely on the Russian vehicles by themselves. NASA started this through their COTS or Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program which would allow private companies to build and launch the spacecraft.

The Dragon spacecraft made its debut flight onboard Falcon 9 in 2010. The mission was successful however the mission was mainly to test the launch portion and the re-entry portions of flight. However, during the next mission, COTS-2, SpaceX would recieve permission to berth to the ISS. Berthing to the station means that it isn't docking but connecting to the Canadarm, and then the arm brings it into towards the station before its soft capture.

Falcon 9 Launches COTS-1 Mission (FYI... Explosion on the T.E. is not nominal)

The COTS-2 mission was originally intended to be split into two missions, COTS-2 and COTS-3. COTS-2 would launch, the approach the ISS and do all of the berthing maneuvers except for the actual berthing. Then it would re-enter the atmosphere and land. COTS-3 would then do everything that COTS-2 did but actually berth to the Canadarm, and deliver some cargo to the crew onboard. However, the COTS-3 mission idea was scrapped and they put all their work into the COTS-2 mission.

COTS-2 launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The vehicle performed nominal and deployed the Dragon spacecraft into a niminal orbit. The fold out solar arrays deployed, and now Dragon was on its way for the first time ever, to berth to the International Space Station. All the maneuvers were successful and Dragon berthed to the ISS.

SpaceX then launched the Dragon spacecraft over twenty times more for the CRS-1 to CRS-20 missions. However, two failed. CRS-1 carried dragon and an OrbComm satellite. The protocol says that if there is an engine out on ascent, they would not be able to berth or dock to the space station. So the mission for Dragon was ended and the OrbComm satellite failed to reach orbit. The second and last mission to fail was the CRS-7 mission. Everything looked good until they were approaching MECO or Main Engine Cutoff. Then the second stage appeared to vent either liquid oxygen of liquid nitrogen. Just seconds later the vehicle broke up in the skies over the Cape.

The second version of the Dragon spacecraft had begun development. Dragon 2. This spacecraft would be capable of carrying more payload to orbit, and crew! The first launch of the Dragon 2 on a Falcon rocket was on the DEMO-1 mission or Demonstration Mission 1. This carried a dummy and some payload to orbit. The mission was a complete success! The second launch of the crew dragon spacecraft was on the IFA mission or In Flight Abort. This is where SpaceX would simulate a failure, let the escape system initiate, and let the Flight Termination System break the Falcon 9 rocket apart.

Falcon 9 Rocket After Flight Termination During the In Flight Abort Test

The next mission, and most exciting mission for a long time was the DEMO-2 mission. This was the first mission to carry astronauts from US soil in over nine years! The mission launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon 2 spacecraft and carried astronauts Bob Benkhen and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station. The mission ended in success and now crews are now launching to the ISS in regular operation.

The new Cargo Dragon spacecraft made its debut flight on the CRS-21 mission which successfully launched from historic Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. To this day Falcon 9 and Cargo Dragon 2 have launched five operational missions (CRS-21 to CRS-25) and five crewed missions. Four of which were operational. (Demo-2 was still considered a test mission, however the following Crew-1 to Crew-4 missions were operational).