Capsule

Width: 3.7 meters
Height: 4.5 meters
Volume: 9.3 cubic meters

While similar in shape to SpaceX’s cargo variant, Crew Dragon sports several key distinctions.

First, it has four protrusions that hold a total of eight Super Draco thrusters. These engines will be used as a launch escape system to push the vehicle and its crew away from the Falcon 9 in the event of an issue. This feature was first tested in a May 2015 abort test and verified in-flight in January 2020.

A second feature of Crew Dragon is its nose cone, which protects the spacecraft’s docking mechanism. Rather than discarding it during its ascent into orbit, it stays with the vehicle and opens in orbit to reveal the docking ring. It also protects the ring during re-entry.

The interior of Crew Dragon is has a three-screen touch screen panel that crews can use to control the vehicle and monitor its systems. Only the most-essential control features have physical interfaces.

Crew Dragon’s capsule sports four parachutes to help the capsule descend slowly toward an ocean splashdown after its mission.

Trunk

Width: 3.7 meters (not including fins)
Height: ~3.6 meters
Trunk volume: 37 cubic meters

The trunk section of Crew Dragon will function similarly to that of the cargo variant. The main difference, however, is that the spacecraft’s solar cells and heat-removing radiators are physically on the body of the trunk, rather than on extendable panels. Additionally, Crew Dragon has aerodynamic fins designed to stabilize the vehicle should a pad or in-flight abort occur.

Inside the trunk is a space for external hardware that could be brought to the International Space Station during either crew or cargo missions.

After the spacecraft’s mission is complete, it is designed to detach from the capsule before a deorbit burn. The trunk is not reusable and will eventually burn up upon re-entry.