Red Dragon

Crew Dragon [SpaceX]
Red Dragon similar

Red Dragon on Mars [SpaceX]

Red Dragon was a planned uncrewed Mars landing mission by SpaceX, which was based on the Crew Dragon crewed space capsule.

The Red Dragon was part of SpaceX's vision to build the stepping stones for a crewed Mars mission, which might eventually lead to the colonization of Mars. The Dragon capsule, designed for propulsive landing, will be used as an uncrewed low-cost Mars lander.

Building on an existing no-funds-exchanged collaboration with SpaceX, NASA will provide technical support for the firm’s plan to attempt to land an uncrewed Dragon 2 spacecraft on Mars. NASA will support SpaceX’s mission with deep space communications and telemetry, deep space navigation and trajectory design, entry, descent and landing system analysis and engineering support, Mars entry aerodynamic and aerothermal database development, general interplanetary mission advice and hardware consultation, and planetary protection consultation and advice.

Red Dragon was planned to be launched in 2018 on a Falcon-Heavy (Block 5) rocket. As in 2017 the propulsive landing forDragon was discarded, the Red Dragon mission was also cancelled.