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VIDEO: SpaceX destroys a Falcon 9 to test the launch abortion system of the Crew Dragon

The Crew Dragon was launched aboard a Falcon 9 carrier rocket, which had to be destroyed in order for the test to take place.

The SpaceX aerospace company, founded and directed by Elon Musk, made a crucial launch this Sunday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida (USA), testing the launch abortion system of its Crew spacecraft Dragon.

The test was aimed at “demonstrating the ability of the Crew Dragon to safely separate from the Falcon 9 rocket in the unlikely event of a flight emergency, “the company said.

SpaceX configured the ship to intentionally activate abortion boosters of the Crew Dragon about a minute and a half after takeoff. Then the rocket’s main engines went out and the Falcon 9 exploded and rushed to the earth’s surface.

After the Crew Dragon separated from the Falcon 9 and accelerated with its own thrusters, moving away from the rocket, four parachutes were deployed that helped the capsule, ‘manned’ by two mannequins with special sensors, to gently fall into the Atlantic Ocean. In total the test lasted about 10 minutes.

The test is crucial for Elon Musk’s company, as it is key to determining whether NASA certifies the Crew Dragon to begin launching manned missions with the agency’s astronauts.

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