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SpaceX · Operational · us · Crew Spacecraft

Crew Dragon (Dragon 2)

Reusable LEO crew capsule; primary US ISS crew transport since 2020.

Verified 2026-06-17 · First flight 2019-03-02

Operator page

Subsystems

propulsion

16 Draco hypergolic thrusters (400 N each) for maneuvering; 8 SuperDraco engines (71 kN each) for launch abort.

life-support

Integrated life support; suit umbilicals supply air and electrical connections; crewed version includes full ECLSS.

avionics

Dual fault-tolerant flight computers; autonomous docking via IDA; crew touchscreen displays.

thermal

PICA-X ablative primary heat shield; SPAM backshell tiles for reentry thermal protection.

power

Trunk-mounted solar arrays (~1.5–2.0 kW); 28 V and 120 V DC buses; lithium-polymer batteries.

recovery

Four-parachute system for ocean splashdown; reusable up to multiple flights; can remain docked to ISS up to 210 days.

Specs & Metrics

Crew Capacity ↑ better
4 seats
NASA ISS missions; 7 max by design
Maximum number of crew members the vehicle can carry on a nominal mission.
Cargo Upmass ↑ better
6,000 kg
Total launch payload mass
Maximum pressurized + unpressurized cargo delivered to station orbit (upmass), in kg.
Pressurized Volume ↑ better
9.3 m³
Total internal pressurized volume of the spacecraft in cubic metres.