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Dragon
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| Rendering of Dragon approaching the
International Space Station. Image credit: SpaceX |
A reusable spacecraft being developed by SpaceX as a successor to the Space Shuttle with funding from NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) and Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) programs. In December 2008, NASA announced the selection of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) following the retirement of the Shuttle. The $1.6 billion contract represents a minimum of 12 flights, which are scheduled to start in late 2010.
Dragon consists of a pressurized capsule and an unpressurized "trunk" used for Earth to low Earth orbit (LEO) transportation of pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo, and/or up to 7 crew members. It has three main elements: the nosecone, which protects the vessel and the docking adaptor during ascent; the spacecraft, which houses the crew and/or pressurized cargo as well as the service section containing avionics, the RCS system, parachutes, and other support infrastructure; and the trunk, which houses unpressurized cargo and supports Dragon's solar arrays and thermal radiators. Although current operation calls for a water landing, SpaceX intends to develop a thruster system that would eventually allow Dragon to make a soft touch-down on land.
In 2010, SpaceX placed an unmanned Dragon capsule in orbit thus achieving a first for a commercial enterprise.
Related categories
• MANNED SPACEFLIGHT• ROCKETS, MISSILES, AND LAUNCH VEHICLES
Source: SpaceX
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