SpaceX in-flight abort test (success)

[mfb]

Edit: This was split out of the space stuff and launch info thread.

The in-flight abort of Dragon 2 is planned for Saturday (18th) 13:00 UTC, this is one day and 12 hours after my post. It is a 4 hour launch window, as this is a test it is quite possible that the launch is pushed back within the window.

Just two days and 4 hours later (Jan 20, 17:20 UTC) SpaceX will launch yet another batch of Starlink satellites - only 13 days after the last one. The satellites might be visible in Europe very quickly after launch as extremely compact and bright train after one orbit.

 

[jackwhirl]

The in-flight abort of Dragon 2 is planned for Saturday (18th) 13:00 UTC, this is one day and 12 hours after my post.

24 hour delay for high winds and rough seas at capsule recovery area.

 

[mfb]

Starlink shifted by one day, too. Jan 21, 16:59 UTC. The 21 minute shift accounts for orbital precession of the satellites.

I expect that the pad abort test has the same weather requirements as a real crewed launch. There is no ISS orbit to consider, so they have a long launch window each day. 13:00 UTC to 19:00 UTC now, a 6 hour window.

 

[mfb]

Target is now 15:00 UTC, in 2.5 hours. Here is live coverage.

 

[jackwhirl]

Splashdown!

 

[mfb]

Success!
Recovery of the test dummies and the capsule will take a bit longer, but the capsule splashed down into the ocean safely.

The remaining rocket exploded a bit after Dragon separated, as expected.

Can't wait for the crewed flight - NASA says early March the earliest, so probably not March, but April to May sounds realistic.Edit: Video of separation and explosion.

 

[berkeman]

the test dummies

Ahem! They prefer to be called test mannequins...

 

[mfb]

They didn't object to being called test dummies.

I split out the discussion of the in-flight abort test.

 

[OCR]

Ahem! They prefer to be called test mannequins...

Lol. . . generally, "test dummies" are real people. . . . . First Martin-Baker Ejection Seat Test

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[Dullard]

I live near KSC/CCAS. My dog is a veteran of hundreds of launches - he usually peers suspiciously at the front windows when he hears a rocket. The booster explosion yesterday just about delaminated him (it was extremely loud) - he wouldn't come out of the bathtub for 15 minutes.