#Crew Dragon#ISS#SpaceX#NASA#Commercial Crew
Crew Dragon Demo-1 was the first orbital flight of SpaceX's Dragon 2 spacecraft. The uncrewed test was designed to demonstrate the complete system before astronauts were allowed on board: Falcon 9 launch, Crew Dragon's autonomous approach and docking, operations at the International Space Station, undocking, reentry and recovery. The mission launched from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center on 2 March 2019.
Mission timeline
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Launch
Falcon 9 launches Crew Dragon from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
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Rendezvous with the ISS
Crew Dragon approaches the International Space Station after 18 orbits.
Read the chapterAutonomous docking
Crew Dragon docks with the Harmony module's forward port.
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Undocking and reentry
After nearly five days at the station, Crew Dragon undocks and prepares for reentry.
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Splashdown and recovery
Crew Dragon splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean and is recovered by Go Searcher.
Read the chapterMission by the numbers
- launch date
- 2 March 2019
- time in space
- 6 days 4 h 58 min
- ISS orbits before docking
- 18orbits
- cargo delivered
- over 400lb
- crew aboard
- 0uncrewed test
Notable facts
- Demo-1 was the first orbital flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
- It was the first autonomous docking of a U.S. spacecraft with the ISS.
- The spacecraft used the station's forward International Docking Adapter on the Harmony module.
- The mission carried a sensor-equipped mannequin named Ripley instead of a human crew.
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Course of the flight
Falcon 9 launches Crew Dragon from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center.
Gallery
Article on the timeline
Check yourself
Why fly an empty capsule before a crewed one?
Answer in your own words — everything you need is in the article above.
Sources & further reading
- NASA, NASA and SpaceX Launch First Flight Test of Space System Designed for Crew, 2 March 2019.
- NASA, SpaceX Crew Dragon Successfully Docks to Station, 3 March 2019.
- NASA, Crew Dragon Splashes Down in Atlantic Ending First Commercial Crew Mission, 8 March 2019.
- SpaceX: Crew Demo-1 Mission Press Kit, official mission insignia; used under Fair use.
Spaceflightpedia. (n.d.). Crew Dragon Demo-1. Retrieved 9 October 2026, from https://spaceflightpedia.com/article/crew-dragon-demo-1
article text — CC-BY-SA · ◉ NASA photography — public domain · ✦ AI illustration — marked, generated from sources
