Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Space
  3. News

SpaceX conducted a key Crew Dragon engine test — and it didn’t blow up!

By
SpaceX

SpaceX completed a ground-based test of its Crew Dragon’s launch escape system on Wednesday, the first such test since April 2019 when an explosion wrecked the capsule. No one was hurt in the incident.

The space company led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk announced in a tweet that a “full duration static fire test” of Crew Dragon’s SuperDraco emergency engines had taken place at Cape Canaveral, Florida and that it was now working toward an in-flight test of the same system. The engines are designed to activate in the event of a problem during launch, carrying the capsule and its occupants away from the rocket and out of danger.

Recommended Videos
Related

SpaceX will now be examining the data from Wednesday’s test to determine if the engines performed as expected. A green light will be a major boost for the SpaceX team, which is determined to move on from April’s setback. An investigation into the explosion showed it was caused by a leaky valve that allowed propellant to enter high-pressure helium tubes. After fixing the issue, the team was able to proceed with this week’s test.

SpaceX plans to use the Crew Dragon capsule to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), ending NASA’s reliance on Russian spacecraft for the trip. SpaceX’s similarly designed unmanned Dragon capsule has already made multiple trips to the ISS over the last seven years, carrying supplies for the station’s astronauts and returning with science experiments containing data and samples.

The capsule is part of SpaceX’s reusable rocket system that has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of space travel.

Earlier this month the company demonstrated the Crew Dragon’s new Mark 3 parachutes to show how they can safely land the capsule even if one of the four main parachutes fails to open.

SpaceX’s in-flight test of the capsule’s launch escape system could take place before the end of the year, with crewed tests expected sometime in 2020. The company has competition, though, with Boeing also running a series of tests for its Starliner crew capsule.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
SpaceX Dragon to give the International Space Station an altitude boost today
A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at the space station.

Friday will see a new event for the International Space Station (ISS) as a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is used to boost its altitude for the first time. As drag works on the space station, its altitude gradually degrades over time, and so it needs to be given an occasional push to keep it at its correct altitude, around 250 miles from the Earth's surface.

The reboost is scheduled for today, November 8, as one of the Dragons that is currently docked to the space station will fire its thrusters for around 12.5 minutes. There are currently two Dragons docked -- one of which carried crew and one of which carried cargo to the station. The cargo vehicle will perform the boost maneuver. As this is the first time this has been attempted, NASA and SpaceX personnel will observe the event carefully.

Read more
What to expect from SpaceX’s sixth megarocket test flight
SpaceX's Super Heavy launch during the fifth test flight of the Starship.

As it unleashes a record 17 million pounds of thrust at launch, the sight of SpaceX’s 120-meter-tall Starship rocket roaring skyward is something to behold.

The Elon Musk-led spaceflight company has already performed five Starship flights since the first one in April 2023, with each one more successful than the last. Comprising the upper-stage Starship spacecraft and the first-stage Super Heavy booster (collectively known as the Starship), the giant vehicle willo be used by NASA for crew and cargo missions to the moon, Mars, and possibly beyond.

Read more
SpaceX reveals date for next flight of Starship megarocket
The Starship launching from Starbase in October 2024.

SpaceX has revealed that it is targeting Monday, November 18, for the sixth test of the Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket comprising the first-stage Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft.

The massive vehicle, which creates around 17 million pounds of thrust at launch, is set to be used by NASA for crew and cargo missions to the moon, and possibly even Mars, though there’s still much testing to be done.

Read more