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SpaceX Launch Abort Test Successful
An anonymous reader writes: As we discussed yesterday, SpaceX launched a prototype this morning to test its Dragon passenger capsule in an aborted launch. The test was a success — the capsule separated cleanly, propelled itself to a safe distance, deployed its parachutes, and lowered gently down to a water landing, where it remained floating. You can watch video of the test on SpaceX's website — skip to 15:40 to get right to it. Externally, everything seems to have gone fine. I'm sure we'll hear in the coming weeks whether the downrange distance was ideal, whether they hit their splashdown target, and how the crash test dummy inside the capsule weathered the abort!
It was like a big model rocket launch. Quick burn, coast to apogee, chutes deploy, and landed in neighbors yard.
It was neat the engines shut off before I heard them start.
I love Jesus, except for his foreign policy.
Also seems kind of scary if you're on the downward-facing side and it comes down on dirt (or worse, on rock). I was kind of surprised when I saw the setup for it the other day they only used 1 test dummy, seated in the center (I believe pilot's) seat. Each seat would experience slightly different forces and that one swinging back and fourth wildly under the drogue chute could possibly get caved in entirely if it hit rock instead of water.
In today's test it pushed between 4 and 5Gs. I don't believe the Falcon-9 first stage can do that at any point with a second stage on top. (IANARS, though, so I could totally be wrong.) That gives it a great shot at being able to clear an accelerating rocket in an early phase of the launch. (I have a lot less confidence in my guesses about the second stage performance. I guess I know it has 1/9th the maximum thrust...)