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Space

SpaceX Crew Dragon hovers on tails of fire

By David Szondy
January 23, 2016
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An earlier hover test of the Crew Dragon capsule
NASA
An earlier hover test of the Crew Dragon capsule
NASA

SpaceX has shown off its new party trick with the release of a video of the Crew Dragon manned space capsule conducting a powered hover test. Though no one was aboard, the tethered mock-up craft managed to lift itself into a hover position using the its SuperDraco thrusters during a five-second burn.

The Crew Dragon test was conducted in November at the company's facility in McGregor, Texas. It shows all eight SuperDarco engines firing as they would during a mission.

Once matured, the SuperDraco technology, which also powers the Crew Dragon's launch abort system, will allow the Dragon to return to Earth using the thrusters to slow the craft and then make a powered landing on dry land with the precision of a helicopter, and without the need for parachutes.

NASA says that the propulsive landing option won't be used on the first Crew Dragon flights scheduled for 2017 that will ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Instead, the capsule will make a parachute descent for a splashdown recovery in the ocean.

The video shows the hover test both in real time and slow motion.

Sources: SpaceX, NASA

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David Szondy
David Szondy is a playwright, author and journalist based in Seattle, Washington. A retired field archaeologist and university lecturer, he has a background in the history of science, technology, and medicine with a particular emphasis on aerospace, military, and cybernetic subjects. In addition, he is the author of four award-winning plays, a novel, reviews, and a plethora of scholarly works ranging from industrial archaeology to law. David has worked as a feature writer for many international magazines and has been a feature writer for New Atlas since 2011.
2 comments
Racqia Dvorak
Same folks developing the reusable rockets. NASA take note: this is what you stopped doing.
And on the other side of the pond is the Skylon developments. Super excited to see that finally coming to fruition.
Jmnsnow
What most impresses me about Elon Musk and his ventures is his all around approach. His is a reliance on the new and cutting edge technology. Software, hardware it all comes about around the accepted way of doing things. If WWE are to move forward it will be with a reworking of the past from a new perspective. The goals are the same it the approach that changes.
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