On September 3, 2025, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully tested a new feature that helps maintain the altitude of the International Space Station (ISS). The maneuver used two Draco engines located in Dragon’s trunk, which has its own propellant system, to adjust the station’s orbit. The burn lasted five minutes and three seconds, increasing the station’s perigee (the low point of its orbit) by about one mile. After the test, the ISS now orbits at approximately 260.9 x 256.3 miles.
This new boost capability is part of Dragon’s “boost kit,” designed to help the ISS sustain its orbit through a series of longer burns planned throughout the fall of 2025. Maintaining the station’s altitude is important because the ISS slowly loses height over time due to atmospheric drag, even in low Earth orbit.
Dragon is currently supporting NASA’s 33rd commercial resupply mission, having arrived at the station on August 25. The spacecraft will remain docked until late December or early January before returning to Earth, bringing back research, experiments, and cargo. This test is a major step toward increasing the station’s operational flexibility and shows how commercial spacecraft like Dragon are playing a growing role in keeping the ISS running smoothly.