SpaceX launched an in-flight test of Crew Dragon’s escape capabilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida on January 19 (Sunday). This launch demonstrated Crew Dragon’s ability to response under emergency situation. Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket took off at 15:30 UTC . Eight SuperDraco engines of the Crew Dragon powered the spacecraft from Falcon 9 rocket at 644 km/h. After separation, the trunk of the Dragon was released and then spacecraft’s parachutes were released. The dragon crashed safely in the Atlantic Ocean, and the teams successfully recovered the spacecraft into the SpaceX rescue vessel.
What’s next
Company claimed that they have designed Crew Dragon as one of the safest human spaceflight systems ever built and they has completed more than 700 tests of Crew Dragon’s SuperDraco engines. Last year in March, SpaceX completed an end-to-end test flight of Crew Dragon without NASA astronauts onboard, making Dragon the first American spacecraft to autonomously dock with the International Space Station and
safely return to Earth. SpaceX has deployed upgraded Mark 3 parachutes
on the spacecraft for emergency escape which is one of the most advanced parachute systems in the world. In total, SpaceX has completed over 80 tests of its parachute system, including 10 multi-parachute tests of the upgraded Mark 3 system. SpaceX has continued their work on further advancement in Space science. Starlink satellites and then safe cargo to international space station are prominent projects of this commercial company.
