updates
Crew Dragon in-flight abort
On January 19, 2020, SpaceX said an uncrewed Crew Dragon aborted from Falcon 9 about 90 seconds after a 10:30 a.m. EST liftoff and splashed down under four Mark III parachutes.
Topics: space-civilization
This page is an original Muskularity summary. It does not republish SpaceX’s full post. Figures are the company’s statements on the cited date unless another primary link is named.
Summary
SpaceX launched an uncrewed in-flight abort test from Kennedy LC-39A at 10:30 a.m. EST (15:30 UTC) on January 19, 2020. About a minute and a half after liftoff, eight SuperDraco engines pulled Dragon off Falcon 9 at more than 400 mph. The trunk was released, two drogues deployed, then four Mark III main parachutes. Dragon splashed down in the Atlantic and was recovered. No NASA astronauts were aboard. SpaceX pointed to a press kit for the rest of the test description. The abort is one of the items later counted toward certification.
Key facts
| Fact | Label |
|---|---|
| Liftoff January 19, 2020, 10:30 a.m. EST, LC-39A, no crew aboard | Company test report |
| Abort about 90 seconds into flight; SuperDracos above 400 mph | Company test result |
| Two drogues and four Mark III parachutes; Atlantic splashdown and recovery | Company test result |
Why it matters
Escape capability is the difference between a cargo capsule and a crew system. This test is the in-flight half; the April Demo-2 page also cites a separate pad-abort history and the parachute counts.
On this site
Sources
- SpaceX update, January 19, 2020 — Grade A, company post
- In-flight abort press kit linked from the post — Grade A, company press kit
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