Published 20:58 IST, January 19th 2020
WATCH LIVE: Crunch time for Elon Musk's SpaceX's astronaut ejection module
SpaceX will imitate its emergency abort system on an unmanned spacecraft on January 19, which is the last major test before it aims to use it on NASA astronauts
SpaceX will attempt its emergency abort system on an unmanned spacecraft on January 19 which is the last major test before it aims to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, according to reports.
Elon Musk's aerospace company that works under contract with NASA was scheduled to launch its Crew Dragon capsule from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida between 8am (1300 GMT) and 2pm. The test will test the capsule's ability to safely carry the crew members in the event of an emergency on ascent. After one minute and 24 seconds of takeoff at an altitude of approximately 12 miles (19 kilometers) above the Atlantic, the Crew Dragon will set off a planned ejection from the Falcon 9 rocket.
LIVE Launch:
Critical test postponed
Elon Musk's SpaceX postponed a critical test launch of its Crew Dragon astronaut taxi on January 18 due to bad weather at the mission's launch site. The next attempt will be done on Sunday, according to the company. The California-based aerospace company was scheduled to launch its unpiloted Crew Dragon spacecraft on a used Falcon 9 rocket at 8 am EST (1300 GMT) on Sunday from the iconic Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
However, the mission was aborted due to the bad weather at the launch site, coupled with rough seas at Crew Dragon's recovery zone in the Atlantic Ocean. As a part of the mission, Elon Musk’s SpaceX will be intentionally destroying one of its own rockets in its final test on Saturday. This will be SpaceX's last major hurdle before it can fly NASA astronauts from US soil. The launch is scheduled during a short 4-hour window.
Updated 20:58 IST, January 19th 2020