posted 01-28-2015 01:56 PM               

SpaceX Pad Abort Test Article Readied For Flight

SpaceX is preparing a test version of its Crew Dragon for an upcoming flight that will simulate an emergency abort from the launch pad.

The Crew Dragon is designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station, and the ability to abort from a launch or pad emergency and safely carry crew members out of harm's way is a critical element for NASA's next generation of crewed spacecraft.

The pad abort test will take place from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 under SpaceX's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement with NASA. Data gathered during the development flight will be critical for the company as it continues on the path to certification.

posted 02-02-2015 10:55 PM               

America's next gen crewed spacecraft is almost ready for a test flight. Pad abort vehicle shipping to Florida shortly.

posted 03-25-2015 05:15 AM               

Demo of pad abort test profile — two SuperDraco engines ignite and throttle as they would during Pad Abort flight test.

posted 04-21-2015 02:52 PM               

SpaceX schedules Crew Dragon pad abort test

SpaceX has scheduled the pad abort test for its Crew Dragon spacecraft for next month. The test will simulate an emergency abort from a test stand on Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

As a development test, it has a higher likelihood of encountering an issue than an operational mission does. SpaceX currently is targeting no earlier than Tuesday, May 5, for the test flight. The company will have a four-hour window to conduct the test, beginning at about 9:30 a.m. EDT. SpaceX has an additional test opportunity on May 6.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the test.

The ability to abort from a launch or pad emergency and safely carry crew members out of harm's way is a critical element for NASA's next generation of crew spacecraft. SpaceX will perform the test under its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement with NASA, but can use the data gathered during the development flight as it continues on the path to certification.

posted 04-30-2015 03:12 PM               

SpaceX Targets May 6 for Pad Abort Test of New Crew Spacecraft

SpaceX now is targeting Wednesday, May 6, for a pad abort test of its Crew Dragon, a spacecraft under final development and certification through NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). The test window will open at 7 a.m. EDT.

NASA Television will provide live coverage of the test, which will simulate an emergency abort from a test stand on Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida.

The media briefing previewing the test will take place at 10 a.m. EDT, Friday, May 1 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This briefing will air live on NASA TV.

posted 05-05-2015 12:20 PM               

SpaceX Dragon 'pad abort' latest in line of launch escape system trials

Before Alan Shepard lifted off to become the first U.S. astronaut in space 54 years ago on Tuesday (May 5), a trio of "pad abort tests" made sure his Mercury capsule could be jettisoned if the Redstone rocket he was riding failed.

Now, SpaceX is building off that history by staging its own pad abort test to prove that its innovative take on a launch escape system works as designed. The abort test comes two years before NASA astronauts are slated to launch on SpaceX's Dragon capsule under a contract with NASA.

posted 05-05-2015 02:21 PM               

Hold down firing of Dragon 2 spacecraft at Cape Canaveral.

posted 05-05-2015 08:14 PM               

SpaceX has moved the start of its Pad Abort Test two hours to 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) on Wednesday, May 6, from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

posted 05-06-2015 08:38 AM               

SpaceX Crew Dragon pad abort: Test flight demos launch escape system

With a flash of flame and a puff of smoke, SpaceX's first '21st century spacecraft' soared skyward on Wednesday (May 6) in a test that left the rocket behind.

The commercial spaceflight company's first Crew Dragon, a capsule designed to fly astronauts to and from low Earth orbit, leapt off its launch pad, but not because of a booster propelling it from below. Instead, the Dragon fired its own on board thrusters in a demonstration of its launch escape system.

"I'm just very proud of the SpaceX team for achieving this right off the bat," Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO, told reporters after the flight. "It was quite a complicated test."

Known as a "pad abort test," the Dragon's flight was a trial run for the system developed to quickly get the spacecraft and its crew away from its rocket in the event of an inflight failure.

posted 06-08-2015 02:46 PM               

NASA Commercial Crew Partner SpaceX Achieves Pad Abort Milestone Approval

NASA has approved a $30 million milestone payment to SpaceX under the agency's Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement with the company following a recent and successful pad abort test of its Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Data gathered during the test are critical to understanding the safety and performance of the Crew Dragon spacecraft as the company continues on the path to certification for crew missions to the International Space Station, and helping return the ability to launch astronauts from the United States.

The Crew Dragon's eight SuperDraco engines fired at 9 a.m. EDT on May 6 for about six seconds, each instantly producing about 15,000 pounds of thrust and lifting the spacecraft off a specially built platform at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida. The spacecraft traveled 3,561 feet (1,187 meters) up before jettisoning its trunk and safely splashing down under three main parachutes in the Atlantic Ocean, 3,606 feet (1,202 meters) from the launch pad.

"This test was highly visible and provided volumes of important information, which serves as tangible proof that our team is making significant progress toward launching crews on American rockets from America soon," said Jon Cowart, partner manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. "The reams of data collected provide designers with a real benchmark of how accurate their analyses and models are at predicting reality. As great as our modern computational methods are, they still can't beat a flight test, like this, for finding out what is going on with the hardware."

The successful test of SpaceX's Crew Dragon launch escape capabilities demonstrated the spacecraft's ability to save astronauts in the unlikely event of a life-threatening situation on the launch pad.

"This is the first major flight test for a vehicle that will bring astronauts to space for the entire Commercial Crew Program," said Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX. "The successful test validated key predictions as it relates to the transport of astronauts to the space station. With NASA's support, SpaceX continues to make excellent and rapid progress in making the Crew Dragon spacecraft the safest and most reliable vehicle ever flown."