Dragon In-Flight Abort Test

Mission

Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test

• Type: Test Flight
• Orbit: Suborbital
• Launch Cost: $52,000,000

When the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket reaches Max-Q (maximum dynamic forces), the launch abort system of the Crew Dragon spacecraft will be triggered.
This will fire up its SuperDraco engines and propel the spacecraft and its theoretical passengers away from the launch vehicle before landing back safely in the Atlantic Ocean.

The goal of this test is to demonstrate the capacity of the spacecraft to ensure a safe return to the ground for the astronauts in the event of a launch vehicle failure.

The booster for this launch will be B1046, a thrice-flown core which was the first of the Block 5 generation. It will not attempt to land and is expected to be destroyed by the SuperDracos and aerodynamic loads.

Location

Launch Complex 39A

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Find the best place to watch the launch from Florida

Launch Complex 39A has witnessed the launch of 199 rockets, including 198 orbital launch attempts. While Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA, has been the site for 257 rocket launches.

The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of NASA's ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).

Rocket

SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

Learn more about the Falcon 9 Block 5

Core B1046

NO attempt to recover this stage was made. The booster did not have any recovery hardware installed. Booster B1046 last launched 01/19/2020 and has seen 3 successful launches and landings. Stage Expended

Atlantic Ocean - ATL

Atlantic Ocean

Expended - EXP

Vehicle did not perform any landing operations after launch

Agency

SpaceX

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.