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SpaceX to simulate astronaut ejection in final test
WASHINGTON, Jan 19, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – SpaceX will on Sunday simulate its
emergency abort system on an unmanned spacecraft, the last major test before
it plans to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.
The space company of entrepreneur Elon Musk, under contract with NASA, will
launch its Crew Dragon capsule from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
between 8:00 am (1300 GMT) and 2:00 pm.
This test will check the capsule’s ability to reliably carry crew to safety
in the event of an emergency on ascent.
One minute and 24 seconds after takeoff, at an altitude of approximately 12
miles (19 kilometers) above the Atlantic, the Crew Dragon will trigger a
planned ejection from the Falcon 9 rocket carrying it into the atmosphere.
The capsule’s descent into the water will be slowed by parachutes, while
the Falcon 9 is expected to break up.
The rocket could explode and possibly create “a fireball of some kind”,
said Benji Reed, director of crew mission management for SpaceX, at a press
conference on Friday.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, the test was pushed back due to high
winds and rough seas in the ditching area.
The success of this test is essential for SpaceX and for NASA, which
urgently needs to certify a spacecraft to transport its astronauts to the ISS
this year.
Since 2011, the United States has been obliged to have its astronauts
travel on Russia’s Soyuz rockets, the only available spacecraft since the
retirement of the American shuttles.
In March 2019, SpaceX successfully made a one-week round trip to the ISS
with Crew Dragon. The first manned flight of the capsule is expected to take
place in March at the earliest, said NASA commercial flight program chief
Kathy Lueders on Friday.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1346 /hrs