SpaceX's Crew Dragon test flight gets through the toughest bit without issue
SpaceX sent its Crew Dragon capsule skyward on Saturday for a crucial test of its ability to carry human passengers. Now, slightly more than 24 hours later, the next phase of the test has played out.
It went well.
The Crew Dragon capsule, designated Demo-1, was able to successfully dock with the International Space Station at roughly 3:00 a.m. ET. Although there was no crew aboard this time, SpaceX's reusable capsule is designed to carry up to seven astronauts to and from Earth's orbit.
The company has been sending an earlier version of its capsule to the ISS for a number of years, but in those instances the space station's robotic arm has helped the smaller vehicle successfully dock. For this test, the Crew Dragon's own navigational system handled the docking procedure -- and it happened without issue.
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Listen to those cheers.
Once the capsule docked, the three-person crew aboard the ISS -- all of whom were prepared to evacuate during the docking procedure if something went wrong -- opened it up to greet Ripley, the sensor-laden dummy that flew in alongside 400 pounds of supplies and a plush Earth doll. The capsule will remain at the ISS for another five days.
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As NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine pointed out on Saturday, the SpaceX test represents a "new era" for American space travel. Astronauts in the U.S. have been relying on Russian Soyuz rockets since NASA's fleet was retired in 2011, but those seats are costly.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon (and Boeing's similar Starliner capsule) present an alternative, having been developed under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Space travel is still a costly endeavor, but these capsules were developed in partnership with NASA and the price of a seat is about $30 million cheaper.
With the successful launch and docking procedure now behind it, only one important test remains for SpaceX's test flight: the return trip. Demo-1 will detach from the ISS on Friday, March 8, and begin the quick journey back to Earth.
It's expected to touch down in the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere off the coast of Florida near Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. If that final phase of the test goes well, NASA astronauts could be heading into space aboard non-NASA rockets as soon as summer 2019.
Topics SpaceX
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
