Advertisement

SpaceX Pad Abort Test Viewed From Crew Dragon

SpaceX conducted a Pad Abort Test on Crew Dragon, its crewed space capsule, on May 6 to collect data in preparation for human missions planned for 2017. The trial was conducted to test Crew Dragon’s capability to evacuate the crew and spacecraft in the event of a failure upon launch. The company released video on May 22 taken by a camera attached to the capsule. Video released earlier showed the test from a distance.

Crew Dragon went from 0-100mph in 1.2 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 345mph, SpaceX said.

SpaceX compared the system to a pilot’s ejector seat; however, the PAT “ejects” the entire spacecraft away from the launch pad rather than just the crew. Credit: YouTube/SpaceX