Cargo spacecraft "Dragon CRS-24" (SpX-24, Cargo Dragon C209)

SpaceX / US

Spacecraft nº:

SpaceX spacecraft nº:

Launch, orbit & landing data:

Designation	50318 / 21127A
Launch date - time	21 Dec 2021 - 10:07:08 UTC
Launch site	CCK, SLC-39A
Launch vehicle	Falcon-9 v1.2 Block 5 (Booster B1069-1)
Spacecraft	Cargo Dragon C209
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Dimensions cabine	Height: 8.1m - Dia: 4m
Launch mass	6000 kg
Payload Mass (kg)	2989 kg
Total cargo mass (kg)	Pressurised: 2081 kg Unpressurised: 908 kg
Low Earth orbit:
- Perigee / Apogee	212 x 362 km
- Eccentricity
- Inclination	51.66°
- Period	92.99 min?

Credit: Collectspace.com

Docking date - time	22 Dec 2021 - 08:41 UTC
Target spacecraft/port	ISS/Harmony zenith
Docking orbit:
- Perigee / Apogee	km
- Inclination	°
- Period	min
Undocking date - time	23 January 2022 - 15:40 UTC
Time docked	?32 d,6h,59min
Recovery date - time	24 Jan 2022 - 21:05 UTC splashdown
Landing location	Gulf of Mexico
Recovered by	MV GO Searcher
Mission Duration	??
Nbr orbits

Description:

SpaceX CRS-24, also known as SpX-24, is a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station which launched on ? Dec 2021 and docking the following day. The mission was contracted by NASA and was flown by SpaceX using a Cargo Dragon C208. This was the fourth flight for SpaceX under NASA′s CRS Phase 2 contract awarded in January 2016.

Payload:

NASA contracted for the CRS-24 mission from SpaceX and therefore determines the primary payload, date of launch, and orbital parameters for the Cargo Dragon C209. This effectively determined C209'a turnaround time, which broke the shortness record for reusable orbital spacecraft, at 164.3 days.) Two educational microcontrollers (Astro Pi[11] and Calliope mini[12]) are also being delivered as part of the payload of this mission.

SpaceX CRS-24 carries over 2,989 kg (6,590 lb) of science experiments, instruments, supplies, hardware, and Christmas presents up to the ISS and the crew of Expedition 66

Science investigations: 1,119 kg
Vehicle hardware: 328 kg
Crew supplies: 386 kg
Spacewalk equipment: 182 kg
Computer resources: 33 kg

ANITA-2 is a trace gas monitoring system developed by OHB and SINTEF under contract of ESA.

STP-H7A technology demonstration mission which consists of the following payloads:
CASPR, GARI-1,
Launch rocket on path.

Cargo Dragon docked to the ISS/Harmony

Mission details:
- On Dec 21, 2021 SpaceX launched the Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship (also called mission SpX-24). This mission uses capsule C209 on its second flight. In the Dragon trunk are two Space Force payloads in the Space Test Program, STP-H7 and STP-H8. STP-H7 will be installed on an external platform on the Columbus module and STP-H8 will go to the Kibo Exposed Facility. Combined mass of STP-H7 and STP-H8 is 908 kg.
- Inside the Dragon capsule are two cubesat deployer payloads:
  - NRCSD-22, from Nanoracks, contains:
    DAILI - Aerospace Corp, 1x6U cubesat for ionospheric research
    FEES 2 - GP Advanced Projects (Brescia), 0.3U cubesat
    GASPACS - Utah State U. 1U cubsat to test a deployable boom for attitude control
    PATCOOL - KSC/U Florida 3U cubesat to test thermal coatings and a drag device
    TARGIT - a 3U cubesat from Georgia Tech with a lidar (laser ranger) and a target subsatellite.
    The 4.5 kg cubesat will deploy the 1.5 kg subsatellite on a 6 m tether; the subsatellite has a 1-meter-sized inflatable Mylar tetrahedral balloon. The lidar will be used to image the subsatellite. The tether will be deployed after TARGIT's altitude decays below that of the Chinese space station.
  - J-SSOD-20 (serial number to be confirmed), from Mitsui Bussan Aerospace, carries:
    GT-1, a 1U amateur radio satellite from Georgia Tech,
    Light-1, a 3U satellite to study terrestrial gamma-ray lightning flashes from NYU Abu Dhabi and Khalifa U.,
    and one further so-far-unidentified 1U cubesats, likely from Japanese companies.
- CRS-24 is thought to also be carrying a new EMU spacesuit.
- Dragon CRS-24 docked to IDA-2 on the Harmony module at 0841 UTC Dec 22.
External links:
- Wikipedia: Dragon SPX-24 mission
- SpaceX: Description.
- SpaceX: 220123-SpaceX, CRS-24 undocking
Astrophilately covers:

Dragon CRS-24 launch. Credit: #411

Dragon CRS-24 launch. Credit: #411

Dragon CRS-24 docking. Credit: #411

Dragon CRS-24 docking. Credit: #411

Dragon CRS-24 splashdown & recovery. Credit: #411

CRS-24 splashdown & recovery, cancel CC. Credit: #411

Ref.: #7(JR801), #98, #411 - update: 26.12.2025 Home