Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

SpaceX was contracted under COTS in 2006. SpaceX also has awards under CCDev2 (US$ 75 million), CCiCap (US$ 440 million) and CCtCAP (US$ 2.6 billion).

SpaceX was established in 2002 by PayPal founder Elon Musk. Design and manufacturing facilities are located in Hawthorne, California, near the Los Angeles International Airport. Test facilities are located in central Texas. Launches taken place at Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atol and Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Their launch vehicles include the Falcon 1, a two stage liquid oxygen/kerosene fueled vehicle for placing satellites in to low earth orbit. A single engine powers the first stage.

The Falcon 9 is also a two stage liquid oxygen/kerosene powered vehicle, but considerably large, having nine engines in the first stage.

The Falcon Heavy, under development, builds upon the technology of the Falcon 9. It will be the most powerful rocket in the world, producing 3.8 millions pounds of thrust at liftoff. Capability to low earth orbit will be over double what the space shuttle was able to accomplish. Payloads to interplanetary space will also be possible.

The Dragon is a reusable spacecraft which will initially be used to carry payloads to the International Space Station. As the craft is proven and experience gained, the goal in the future will be to also ferry astronauts to and from the space station. Working towards this goal, two launch abort tests are slated for 2014.

On 23 May 2012, a Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral sending a cargo filled Dragon capsule towards the space station. The Dragon was captured by the space station's remote arm and docked to the station on 25 May 2012. On 31 May 2012, an ocean splashdown in the Pacific went as planned. Clearing this hurdle, SpaceX commenced with 12 cargo flights to the space station as contracted by NASA. The contract was later extended.

Falcon 9 on the launch pad
Credit: NASA

Dragon being moved by the ISS robotic arm
Credit: NASA

Note on dock and undock times: Our dock and undock times may differ from other sources because they confuse capture/release with berthing/unberthing. These are distinct events.

The Dragons

Page last modified: 21 April 2025 13:01:57.