➤ DRAGON (CARGO DRAGON OR DRAGON-1)

     DRAGON is a name of SPACECRAFT  designed by SPACE-X. SPACE-X is an AMERICAN-BASED Private AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING COMPANY. The Official Name of the Company is 'SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION. The owner of SPACE-X Is ELON MUSK. He founded this Organization in 2002. The goal of ELON MUSK is to reduce the cost of Space Transportation to ' COLONIZE THE MARS '  or in other words, To Open Space for Everyone. SpaceX returned America's Ability to fly NASA  Astronauts to and from THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION  on the American Vehicle in 2020 since 2011 for the first time.

SpaceX Logo

● SPACE-X - 1) DESIGN
                  2) MANUFACTURE
                  3) LAUNCHES  
   Advanced ROCKETS & SPACE CRAFTS.

     DRAGON is a class of Reusable Cargo Space Craft ( CARGO = GOODS THAT ARE CARRIED IN SHIP OR AIRCRAFT). It was Initially Designed as an Unmanned SpaceCraft but then Scaled Up to Launch ASTRONAUTS into Space and to Provide Commercial Supplies to ISS ( INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION ) and Beyond. SPACE-X Began DEVELOPING the DRAGON Space Capsule in Late 2004, Made a Public Announcement in 2006. SPACE-X also won a Contract to use Dragon SpaceCraft for Commercial resupply of Services to the ISS for NASA.

➤ WHY NAME DRAGON?

    ELON MUSK Named this Space Vehicle as DRAGON after the Song ' PUFF, THE MAGIC DRAGON ' (1963) By PAUL, PETER & MARY. His intense in Giving this name is to Criticize the People who Considered his Space Flight IMPOSSIBLE.

➤ CAPACITY OF DRAGON
    The dragon can carry 4 to 7 Passengers to and from Earth Orbit and Beyond. According to Company, it is the only SpaceCraft Currently Flying that is capable of returning a Significant/Large amount of Cargo to the Earth. It is the First-Ever Private SpaceCraft to take Humans to the Space Station.
            
  •    HEIGHT - 8.1 meter
  •    DIAMETER - 4 meter
  •    DRY MASS - 4201 Kg
  •    Launch Payload Mass - 6000Kg
  •    Return Payload Mass - 3000Kg

➤ PARTS OF DRAGON
    
    1) CAPSULE - This Part of the dragon is Pressurized Section, This is where Transport of People & Cargo Takes Place. Simply this the Place where People can have sit & keep their Stuff.
  •   VOLUME - 9.3 m^3 or 328 ft^3


    2) TRUNK - Dragon's Trunk carries Unpressurized Cargo and also supports the SpaceCraft during Lift Off/Take Off. 50% of Trunk is covered with Solar Panels that provide power to Dragon till Separation. The trunk remains attached to Dragon till shortly before reentry into Earth Atmosphere.
  •   VOLUME - 37 m^3 or 1300 ft^3



➤ POWERFUL DRACO THRUSTERS
       The Dragon carries 16 powerful Draco Thrusters. Each of the Draco is capable of generating 90 pounds (400N) of force in the vacuum of space.

DRACO THRUSTERS


  • Super Draco - It is a Group of 8 Super Draco engines. In case of Emergency, these Super Draco Engines launch Dragon Space Craft Half a Mile away from Launch Vehicle, in less than 8 seconds.
SUPER DRACO



➤ DRAGON PARACHUTE SYSTEM
       The Dragon SpaceCraft is fitted with 2 Drogue parachutes to stabilize the SpaceCraft while Reentry & 4 more parachutes slow down the spacecraft before Landing. 



➤ SOME POINTS
  • In, December 2020 - Dragon Became the 1st Commercially built & operated spacecraft to be recovered successfully from orbit.
  • SpaceX began developing the Dragon Space Capsule in 2004, Making the public announcement in 2006.
  • SpaceX had won a Contract of NASA for providing commercial resupply services to ISS.
  • First-Ever Private spacecraft to take Humans to the Space Station.
  • Dragon is a Space Craft, not a Launch Vehicle, There is a Difference. Dragon travels in space, Launch Vehicle Delivers SpaceCraft to Space. Falcon Series of SpaceX is Popular For Launching SpaceCraft to the Space.
  • TOTAL LAUNCHES - 30
  • VISIT TO ISS - 27
  • REFLOWN MISSION - 12     
 

● 👆 View of an Orbital Sunset from Dragon's  Capola.