The rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9
THE FALCON 9 rocket, a 70-metre tall, 5.49 lakh kg vehicle (when fully fuelled), is designed for reusability, significantly reducing the cost of space travel.
“Its first stage features nine Merlin engines, generating over 1.7 million pounds of thrust for approximately 162 seconds to propel the rocket through the Earth’s atmosphere,” said space analyst Girish Linganna. “This stage then separates and uses four grid fins and engine firings to land safely for reuse.”
Connecting the first and second stages is the interstage, crafted from carbon fibre and aluminium composite. This section uses pneumatic (air-powered) pushers for stage separation, a reusable system, unlike explosive alternatives. The four titanium grid fins used for the first stage’s return are attached to the base of the interstage. The interstage remains with the first stage, facilitating its reuse.
The second stage, equipped with a single engine, operates in the vacuum of space. It can restart multiple times for precise orbital insertion and burns for up to 397 seconds. This stage is not reused, safely burning up in Earth’s atmosphere post-mission.
The Falcon 9 variant for human spaceflight incorporates additional safety features and is the sole US rocket certified for NASA astronaut transport. As of June 2025, it boasts a 99.4 per cent success rate with 484 of 487 missions successful.
The spacecraft: SpaceX Dragon
THE DRAGON SPACECRAFT functions as a space taxi, comprising a reusable crew capsule and a disposable trunk. The pressurised crew capsule has life support for astronauts and the trunk has solar panels for power and cargo capacity.
Sixteen Draco thrusters steer the craft in space and eight SuperDraco engines provide an emergency escape system during launch. “If anything goes wrong at launch, these SuperDraco engines can quickly pull the capsule away from the rocket so as to keep the crew safe,” said Linganna.
The Dragon boasts automated docking capabilities for connecting with the ISS, along with windows and control panels for the crew. It can carry up to seven people and the crew wears custom-fitted SpaceX pressure suits, which offer protection and has built-in communication capabilities.
While returning to Earth, the craft deploys two drogue and four main parachutes for an ocean splashdown. Axiom Mission 4 will utilise a new Dragon capsule (C213), SpaceX’s fifth and final, incorporating improved storage and propulsion systems.