This capsule is currently on a commercial resupply mission to the ISS
The dragon space capsule is
designed to meet the Commercial Orbital Transport Services (COTS) requirements
for transport to the International Space Station. The capsule’s main mission is
to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). Specific mission requirements were taken from NASA’s SSP
50700 document. These requirements
include handling capabilities, abort provisions, carrying capacities, and
communication standards. The Dragon capsule has successfully flown two flights
with a third planned. For the resupply mission, the dragon capsule is launched
on a Falcon Nine launch vehicle designed and built by SpaceX. From launch to
its 370km low earth orbit rendezvous with the international space station the
mission is monitored at SpaceX’s mission center in Hawthorne, CA. The capsule’s
payload includes: crew supplies, vehicle hardware, computer resources,
spacewalk hardware, and Russian cargo. The dragon capsule consist of two
articulated solar panels, four lithium polymer batteries, eighteen Draco
thrusters, two compartment (one pressurized and one unpressurized) for cargo
transport, and onboard
encryption/decryption systems. The capsule has a total volume of 25 m3,
including the unpressurized trunk. It has two solar arrays that can generate up
to 2000 W of power. With the stored propellant it can achieve 700 ,π-π .
of Ξv for its on orbit maneuvers.