The Dragon spacecraft has three configurations to meet a variety of needs: cargo, crew and DragonLab. To ensure a rapid transition from cargo to crew capability, the cargo and crew configurations of Dragon are almost identical. This commonality simplifies the human rating process, allowing systems critical to crew and space station safety to be fully tested on unmanned cargo flights. With DragonLab, essentially the same spacecraft can be used as a platform for in-space technology demonstrations and experiments.
Taking Humans to Space
Partnership with NASA Dragon was designed from the outset to fly humans to space. Under an agreement with NASA, SpaceX is making upgrades to Dragon to allow for crew carrying capability.
Crew Upgrades Dragon will be the world's safest and most reliable crew transport vehicle, with seating for seven, life-support systems, controls with manual capability, and a powered launch escape system. First Launch Upgrades to Dragon are currently in progress. Dragon's first manned test flight is expected to take place as early as 2018.
Cargo
Resupply the Space Station
Delivery and Return Services Dragon is the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station and currently the only cargo spacecraft flying capable of returning significant amounts of cargo to Earth. Dragon accommodates pressurized cargo in the capsule as well as unpressurized cargo in its trunk. Versatile Cargo Racks The racks are a honeycomb carbon-aluminum construction designed for efficient packing in a zero-gravity environment. They accommodate a variety of standard-size NASA cargo bags as well as freezers for carrying materials such as biological samples.
