SpaceX’s Dragon was the first spacecraft built and operated by a private company to dock with the International Space Station.
Dragon achieved this milestone during SpaceX’s C2+ mission in May 2012. The spacecraft launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, performed a series of approach maneuvers, and was captured by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm before berthing.
Dragon was designed as a reusable cargo vehicle, although its pressurized cargo module was not reused after returning to Earth. The mission was conducted under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, which helped develop privately operated resupply spacecraft.
Dragon is sometimes confused with Crew Dragon, the later human-rated version. Crew Dragon carried astronauts, while the original Dragon primarily transported cargo and scientific experiments.