Image 1 of 39(Image credit: Tony Gray/NASA)SpaceX successfully conducted an in-flight abort test of its Crew Dragon crew capsule on Sunday (Jan. 19) to test the emergency escape system, which would safely return astronauts to Earth in the event of a problem during launch. See photos of the test here!Read the full story: SpaceX aces Crew Dragon launch abort test, destroys rocket on purposeImage 2 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)During the in-flight abort test, the Crew Dragon fired its built-in SuperDraco thrusters to separate from the Falcon 9 rocket, as seen in this illustration. After the separation, the Falcon 9 rocket was destroyed. Image 3 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule is perched on a Falcon 9 rocket in preparation for an in-flight abort test on Jan. 18, 2020. Image 4 of 39(Image credit: NASA)The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft stand ready for launch on Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image 5 of 39(Image credit: NASA/SpaceX)SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon lift off from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Image 6 of 39(Image credit: Tony Gray/NASA)A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a major abort system test on Jan. 19, 2020 from Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Image 7 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)The Falcon 9 rocket rises behind a SpaceX facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in this view from the launch of Crew Dragon’s in-flight abort test. Image 8 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule are on their way to space. Image 9 of 39(Image credit: NASA/SpaceX)Here, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon can be seen just after igniting its abort engine burn. Eight SuperDraco engines fired to rip the spacecraft free of its Falcon 9 rocket.Image 10 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)The moment of separation as Crew Dragon fires its SuperDracos to separate from its Falcon 9 rocket during a successful in-flight abort test launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 19, 2020.Image 11 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)SpaceX’s in-flight abort test heats up. Image 12 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule separates from the Falcon 9 rocket, which was intentionally destroyed as part of the in-flight abort test. Image 13 of 39(Image credit: NASA/SpaceX)The Falcon 9 rocket, fully fueled for launch, appears to explode and break apart after Crew Dragon’s abort maneuver. This was expected and SpaceX warned viewers to expect the rocket’s fiery fate.Image 14 of 39(Image credit: NASA/SpaceX)Crew Dragon’s “trunk” is seen here after separating from the crew capsule section. Crew Dragon was expected to reach a maximum altitude of about 25 miles (40 kilometers) during the launch.Image 15 of 39(Image credit: NASA/SpaceX)The four Mark 3 main parachutes deploy to slow Crew Dragon during its descent back to Earth. The spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of the launch site.Image 16 of 39(Image credit: NASA)SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft sits on the recovery ship GO Searcher just minutes after being pulled from the Atlantic Ocean after a critical in-flight abort test on Jan. 19, 2020. Image 18 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)The Dragon’s trunk surprisingly landed in the water in tact after being jettisoned during the launch abort test.Image 19 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)NASA astronauts Bob Behknen (left) and Doug Hurley will be the first to fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft during the Demo-2 mission. It could launch in Spring 2020. Here, they walk through the access arm in a dress rehearsal for launch during SpaceX in-flight abort preparations.Image 20 of 39(Image credit: NASA)The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft stand ready for launch on Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image 21 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)An artist’s illustration of the Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad. Image 22 of 39(Image credit: NASA)The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft stand ready for launch on Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image 23 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)The Falcon 9 rocket, topped with the uncrewed Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 19 at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT).Image 24 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)Smoke billows out from under SpaceX’s Falcon 9 during its successful launch abort test on Jan. 19, 2020. Image 25 of 39(Image credit: Glenn Benson/NASA)A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a major abort system test on Jan. 19, 2020 from Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Image 26 of 39(Image credit: Tony Gray/NASA)A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a major abort system test on Jan. 19, 2020 from Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Image 27 of 39(Image credit: Tony Gray/NASA)A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a major abort system test on Jan. 19, 2020 from Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Image 28 of 39(Image credit: Tony Gray/NASA)A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a major abort system test on Jan. 19, 2020 from Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Image 29 of 39(Image credit: Tony Gray/NASA)A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a major abort system test on Jan. 19, 2020 from Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Image 32 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)Precisely 84 seconds after liftoff, as the Falcon 9 rocket flew Mach 2.3, Crew Dragon fired its eight SuperDraco engines to rip itself free of the rocket’s second stage. Image 33 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)Crew Dragon’s SuperDracos fired for 10 seconds, pulling the capsule free of the Falcon 9 and carrying the capsule upward on a suborbital trajectory.Image 34 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)About 2.5 minutes after liftoff, Crew Dragon jettisoned its “trunk” service module. The cylindrical, finned module contains the solar arrays and other gear required to sustain Crew Dragon’s taxi flights to the International Space Station for NASA. Image 35 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)Just after the 3-minute mark, Crew Dragon fired its regular Draco thrusters to orient the space capsule for entry and splashdown. Crew Dragon did not reach space on this launch; the highest altitude the capsule reached is about 24.8 miles (40 km).Image 36 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)About 5.5 minutes after liftoff, Crew Dragon began releasing parachutes to slow itself for splashdown. First came the release of two drogue chutes to stabilize the capsule and prepare it for the release of its four main parachutes. Image 37 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)Shortly after the drogue chutes deployed, Crew Dragon released its four main parachutes to slow the spacecraft’s descent ahead of splashdown. The parachutes on this Crew Dragon were SpaceX’s newest version, the Mark 3 parachute design.Image 38 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)About 10 minutes after launch, Crew Dragon splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean. The drop zone was between 18 and 21 miles offshore (30-35 km). SpaceX’s recovery ship, the GO Searcher, tracked the Crew Dragon ahead of its splashdown, setting the stage for the final step of the mission: Recovery.Image 39 of 39(Image credit: SpaceX)The GO Searcher was staged near the splashdown zone and was able to reach the Crew Dragon in a matter of minutes minutes. After recovering the Crew Dragon, the ship will return it to Cape Canaveral so it can be studied to see how it fared during the test. This gallery was originally published Jan. 19 and updated Jan. 22.The emergency launch abort systems of SpaceX and Boeing explainedSpaceX fires up rocket in prep for 1st astronaut launch with Crew Dragon SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Demo-1 test flight in picturesFollow us @Spacedotcom and Facebook.Need more space? Subscribe to our sister title “All About Space” Magazine for the latest amazing news from the final frontier! (Image credit: All About Space)Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
In photos: SpaceX’s amazing Crew Dragon in-flight abort test launch – Space.com
