OrbitalHub

NASA dicit:

“Crew Dragon is designed to transport up to four astronauts for NASA missions, along with critical cargo and supplies, to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The Crew Dragon features solar arrays affixed to the side of the spacecraft’s trunk, a launch escape system that will allow crew members to escape an anomaly at any point during flight, a large hatch and windows, and a redesigned outer mold line to enhance crew comfort. The first uncrewed flight is an important step in returning human launches on American rockets and spacecraft to the space station from U.S. soil since 2011.

Astronauts will board the SpaceX Crew Dragon using the Crew Access Arm, which provides a bridge to the spacecraft from the crew access tower at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.”

Video Credit: NASA/SpaceX

NASA dicit:

“Countdown and liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon onboard on Demo-1, the first uncrewed flight test of the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Launch was at 2:49 a.m. EST on March 2, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Demo-1 is the first time a commercially built and operated American spacecraft designed for humans will dock to the International Space Station.”

Video Credit: NASA/SpaceX

SpaceX CRS-15 lifted off on 29 June 2018 at 5:42 a.m. EDT. The Falcon 9 rocket cleared the tower at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, sending a Dragon spacecraft on the company’s 15th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station.

NASA has contracted for the CRS-15 mission from SpaceX and therefore determines the primary payload, date/time of launch, and orbital parameters for the Dragon space capsule. CRS-15 hauled 1,712 kg (3,774 lb) of pressurized mass and 985 kg (2,172 lb) of unpressurized cargo. The external payloads manifested for this flight are ECOSTRESS and a Latching End Effector for Canadarm2.

The breakdown of cargo bound for the ISS: science investigations – 1,233 kg (2,718 lb), crew supplies – 205 kg (452 lb), vehicle hardware – 178 kg (392 lb), spacewalk equipment – 63 kg (139 lb), computer resources – 21 kg (46 lb), russian hardware – 12 kg (26 lb), external payloads – 985 kg (2,172 lb).

Credits Video: NASA

NASA dixit:

“The SpaceX CRS-13 mission begins with an on-time liftoff of the company’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Launch occurred on December 15 at 10:36 a.m. EST. The Dragon is carrying equipment, science and supplies to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 13th commercial cargo resupply mission.”

Video credit: NASA Kennedy Space Center

ESA dixit:

“In this time-lapse the Space Station Expedition 53 crew are seen packing items into the Dragon spacecraft in preparation for its return to Earth. The cargo spacecraft left the Station at 08:40 CEST on 17 September 2017 when ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli and NASA Station commander Randy Bresnik released it from the Harmony module with the support of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Six hours later the spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. From there it was retrieved together with its science and gear payload.”

Video credit: ESA

NASA dixit:

“The SpaceX/Dragon cargo craft departed the International Space Station September 17, one month after delivering more than three tons of supplies and scientific experiments for the station’s residents. Expedition 53 Flight Engineer Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency and station Commander Randy Bresnik used the Canadarm2 robotic arm to release Dragon after it was detached from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module. Dragon was scheduled to move to a safe distance away from the station for its engine to conduct a deorbit burn, enabling it to drop out of orbit for a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific southwest of Long Beach, California. Dragon was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center on August 14, arriving at the orbital outpost August 16.”

Video credit: NASA