Space

SpaceX preps upgraded Crew Dragon for static-fire test next week

SpaceX preps upgraded Crew Dragon for static-fire test next week
An earlier hover test of the Crew Dragon capsule
An earlier hover test of the Crew Dragon capsule
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SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule ahead of its first demonstration mission to the ISS
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SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule ahead of its first demonstration mission to the ISS
An earlier hover test of the Crew Dragon capsule
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An earlier hover test of the Crew Dragon capsule
SpaceX's Crew Dragon docks itself with the ISS in March
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SpaceX's Crew Dragon docks itself with the ISS in March
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SpaceX is continuing to test out the key components of a vehicle built to return human spaceflight to US soil, with an upgraded launch escape system for its Crew Dragon capsule the latest to be put through its paces.

Great progress was being made with SpaceX's Crew Dragon program early this year, with the spacecraft built to carry NASA astronauts to the International Space Station ticking off number of key milestones. It lifted off towards the orbiting laboratory in early March, docked with it a day later and then safely returned to Earth with its test dummy passenger intact.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon docks itself with the ISS in March
SpaceX's Crew Dragon docks itself with the ISS in March

A static-fire test, where the engines are engaged with the spacecraft tethered to the ground, followed in April, but saw a leaky component give rise to a disastrous launchpad explosion. The purpose of this exercise was to test out the craft's launch escape system, which is designed to blast astronauts clear of the launchpad in case of emergency. Its failure led SpaceX back to the drawing board to look over the design.

In early September, SpaceX conducted a successful static-fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket being prepped to lift the Crew Dragon into space on its first manned mission. Now it appears to have solved the design flaws of the launch escape system, sharing a video of it in action on Twitter.

A proper static-fire test of the upgraded Crew Dragon capsule could take place as early as next weekend, as reported by CNBC. The broadcaster says that SpaceX is preparing for a November 2 static-fire test, looking to demonstrate that it has addressed the earlier issues with the spacecraft that led to its explosion.

The timeline around the first manned flights for the Crew Dragon remains unclear.

Source: Twitter, CNBC

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