Overview
Cargo Dragon (Dragon 2 Cargo variant, also called Dragon C2) is an uncrewed resupply spacecraft developed by SpaceX to deliver supplies, experiments and equipment to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) programme. It is the successor to Dragon 1, which flew two demonstration flights and then CRS-1 to CRS-20 between 2010 and 2020.
Cargo Dragon's defining advantage is its ability to return payloads to Earth — up to 3,000 kg of pressurised cargo including science experiments, biological samples and station hardware. All other active ISS cargo vehicles (Cygnus, Progress) burn up on re-entry, meaning critical experiments can only return via Dragon. This makes it an irreplaceable part of the ISS science programme.
Like its crewed sibling (Crew Dragon), Cargo Dragon launches on Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Centre and docks autonomously to the station. It does not carry a launch abort system, life support or crew displays.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Type | Uncrewed cargo |
| Cargo Capacity (Up) | 6,000 kg pressurised + unpressurised |
| Return Cargo | 3,000 kg pressurised |
| Capsule Diameter | 4.0 m (13 ft) |
| Height (with trunk) | 8.1 m (26.7 ft) |
| Mass | ~12,519 kg (empty) |
| Pressurised Volume | 9.3 m³ + trunk |
| Launch Vehicle | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch Site | LC-39A, Kennedy Space Centre |
| Docking | Autonomous via IDA |
| Abort System | None (cargo only) |
| Heat Shield | PICA-X |
| Landing | Parachute splashdown |
| Reusability | Capsules flown up to 6 times; trunk expendable |
Dragon 1 vs Cargo Dragon 2
The original Dragon 1 flew CRS-1 through CRS-20 (2012–2020) and was berthed to the ISS using the station's robotic arm. Cargo Dragon 2 (CRS-21 onwards) docks autonomously, carries more cargo, and shares the Dragon 2 capsule design with Crew Dragon. Dragon 1 was retired after CRS-20 in March 2020.
| Feature | Dragon 1 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Missions | CRS-1 to CRS-20 | CRS-21 onwards |
| ISS Interface | Berthed (robotic arm) | Autonomous docking (IDA) |
| Cargo Up | 3,310 kg | 6,000 kg |
| Return Cargo | 2,500 kg | 3,000 kg |
| Reusable | Yes | Yes |
| Status | Retired (2020) | Active |
Cargo Dragon vs Competitors
| Parameter | Cargo Dragon | Cygnus | Progress | Tianzhou |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇷🇺 Russia | 🇨🇳 China |
| Cargo Up | 6,000 kg | 3,750 kg | 2,400 kg | 6,500 kg |
| Return Cargo | 3,000 kg | — | — | — |
| Destination | ISS | ISS | ISS | CSS |
| Reusable | Yes | No | No | No |
| Launch Vehicle | Falcon 9 | Falcon 9/Antares | Soyuz | Long March 7 |
Cargo Dragon Mission Log
Every cargo Dragon flight, newest first: 35 in all, from the first demonstration flight in 2010 to today's resupply missions. Each mission name links to its launch record. CRS-7 does not appear: it was lost in a launch failure in June 2015, before reaching orbit. Crew flights are in the Crew Dragon mission log.
| # | Mission | Launched | Capsule | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | CRS-34 | 15 May 2026 | C209, flight 6 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 34 | CRS-33 | 24 Aug 2025 | C211, flight 3 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 33 | CRS-32 | 21 Apr 2025 | C209, flight 5 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 32 | CRS-31 | 5 Nov 2024 | C208, flight 5 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 31 | CRS-30 | 21 Mar 2024 | C209, flight 4 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 30 | CRS-29 | 10 Nov 2023 | C211, flight 2 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 29 | CRS-28 | 5 Jun 2023 | C208, flight 4 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 28 | CRS-27 | 15 Mar 2023 | C209, flight 3 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 27 | CRS-26 | 26 Nov 2022 | C211, flight 1 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 26 | CRS-25 | 15 Jul 2022 | C208, flight 3 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 25 | CRS-24 | 21 Dec 2021 | C209, flight 2 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 24 | CRS-23 | 29 Aug 2021 | C208, flight 2 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 23 | CRS-22 | 3 Jun 2021 | C209, flight 1 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 22 | CRS-21 First Cargo Dragon 2 flight | 6 Dec 2020 | C208, flight 1 | Cargo Dragon 2 |
| 21 | CRS-20 Final Dragon 1 flight | 7 Mar 2020 | C112, flight 3 | Dragon 1 |
| 20 | CRS-19 | 5 Dec 2019 | C106, flight 3 | Dragon 1 |
| 19 | CRS-18 First capsule to fly a third time | 25 Jul 2019 | C108, flight 3 | Dragon 1 |
| 18 | CRS-17 | 4 May 2019 | C113, flight 2 | Dragon 1 |
| 17 | CRS-16 | 5 Dec 2018 | C112, flight 2 | Dragon 1 |
| 16 | CRS-15 | 29 Jun 2018 | C111, flight 2 | Dragon 1 |
| 15 | CRS-14 | 2 Apr 2018 | C110, flight 2 | Dragon 1 |
| 14 | CRS-13 | 15 Dec 2017 | C108, flight 2 | Dragon 1 |
| 13 | CRS-12 | 14 Aug 2017 | C113, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 12 | CRS-11 First reflight of a Dragon capsule | 3 Jun 2017 | C106, flight 2 | Dragon 1 |
| 11 | CRS-10 | 19 Feb 2017 | C112, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 10 | CRS-9 | 18 Jul 2016 | C111, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 9 | CRS-8 Delivered the BEAM expandable module; first booster landing on a droneship | 8 Apr 2016 | C110, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 8 | CRS-6 | 14 Apr 2015 | C108, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 7 | CRS-5 | 10 Jan 2015 | C107, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 6 | CRS-4 | 21 Sep 2014 | C106, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 5 | CRS-3 | 18 Apr 2014 | C105, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 4 | CRS-2 | 1 Mar 2013 | C104, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 3 | CRS-1 First contracted ISS resupply mission | 8 Oct 2012 | C103, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 2 | COTS Demo Flight 2 First commercial spacecraft to berth at the ISS | 22 May 2012 | C102, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
| 1 | COTS Demo Flight 1 First commercial spacecraft recovered from orbit | 8 Dec 2010 | C101, flight 1 | Dragon 1 |
Updated automatically from Orbital Radar's launch records.
Which spacecraft for your mission?
Pick a mission profile and we'll rank the world's crewed and cargo spacecraft by suitability — capability, flight heritage, reusability and fit. A live calculation across our spacecraft catalogue, not a static list.
Anatomy & mission profile
- Cargo (up)6,000 kg
- Pressurised vol9.3 m³
- Mass12,000 kg
- Launch vehicleFalcon 9
- Heat shieldPICA-X
- LandingOcean splashdown
Pressurised volume to scale
Approximate pressurised volume — a sense of how roomy each vehicle is for crew or cargo.
Cargo Dragon vs every crew & cargo spacecraft
| Spacecraft | Type | Crew | Cargo kg | Vol m³ | Reuse | Debut | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Cargo Dragon you are here | Cargo spacecraft | — | 6,000 | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2020 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Crew Dragon | Crew capsule | 7 | — | 9.3 | ♻︎ Yes | 2020 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Orion | Deep-space crew capsule | 4 | — | 19.6 | No | 2022 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Starliner | Crew capsule | 7 | — | 11 | ♻︎ Yes | 2019 | Under review |
| 🇷🇺 Soyuz MS | Crew capsule | 3 | — | 7.5 | No | 1967 | Operational |
| 🇨🇳 Shenzhou | Crew capsule | 3 | — | 7 | No | 2003 | Operational |
| 🇷🇺 Progress | Cargo spacecraft | — | 2,400 | 7.6 | No | 1978 | Operational |
| 🇨🇳 Tianzhou | Cargo spacecraft | — | 6,700 | 18.1 | No | 2017 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Cygnus | Cargo spacecraft | — | 3,750 | 27 | No | 2013 | Operational |
| 🇺🇸 Dream Chaser | Cargo spaceplane | — | 5,500 | 16 | ♻︎ Yes | Planned | In development |
| 🇺🇸 Starship HLS | Crewed lunar lander | 4 | 100,000 | 100 | ♻︎ Yes | Planned | In development |
| 🇯🇵 HTV-X | Cargo spacecraft | — | 5,850 | 30 | No | 2025 | Pre-operational |
Tap any column to sort · crew = maximum seats, cargo = pressurised + unpressurised upmass · figures are best estimates as of 2026.
Track Cargo Dragon across Orbital Radar
Frequently Asked Questions
Up to 6,000 kg of pressurised and unpressurised cargo to the ISS, and 3,000 kg of pressurised return cargo: science experiments, biological samples and hardware. The unpressurised trunk can carry external payloads like solar arrays.
Cargo Dragon has flown 35 times, counting the original Dragon 1 and today's Cargo Dragon 2. With Crew Dragon included, Dragon has flown 56 times; the combined count is in the Dragon missions summary.
Yes. Capsules are refurbished and reflown, and the most-flown has made 6 flights. The trunk is expendable. This lowers per-mission costs compared to expendable competitors.
Crew Dragon carries astronauts with life support and a SuperDraco abort system. Cargo Dragon carries supplies only: no life support, no abort engines, no crew displays. Both share the same capsule design and launch on Falcon 9. See the Dragon missions summary for both versions together.
Dragon 1 flew from 2010 to 2020: two demonstration flights, then the CRS-1 to CRS-20 resupply missions, of which CRS-7 was lost in a 2015 launch failure. It was retired after CRS-20 and replaced by Cargo Dragon 2, which carries more cargo and docks autonomously (Dragon 1 was berthed using the ISS robotic arm).