CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — NASA and SpaceX are currently targeting no earlier than Tuesday, May 5, 2015, for a pad abort test of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon development spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The test will simulate an emergency abort from a test stand on Space Launch Complex 40.
As a development test, it has a higher likelihood of encountering an issue than an operational mission does, NASA says. SpaceX will have a four-hour window to conduct the test, beginning at about 9:30 a.m. EDT. The aerospace company has an additional test opportunity on Wednesday, May 6.
According to NASA, 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 agreement with the space agency, but can also use the data gathered during the development flight as it continues on the path to certification.
Under a separate Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program will certify SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, Falcon 9 rocket, ground and mission operations systems to fly crews to and from the International Space Station.
Image Credit: SpaceX
