SpaceX Pad Abort Test

SpaceX · 12.7M views · 2015-05-08 · 2:08

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Overview

A short SpaceX video of the Dragon 2 pad abort test, in which the capsule's thrusters fire to carry it away from the launch pad. It also shows the pad deluge system.

On Hacker News

HN commenters cite it as evidence that Dragon's built-in launch escape system works and that a failed launch need not kill the crew.

Discussed on HN; no positive recommendation is recorded in this export · HN mentions 2015–2018

Topics

Space exploration & spaceflight

What people said

ceejayoz · 2018-10 · Reference
SpaceX's crewed Dragon is the escape system. It's built into the capsule, and has been successfully tested. [VIDEO] The BFR, to my knowledge, lacks one. Not sure if Musk has commented on that; I'd imagine his likely argument is that airliners don't either.
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rwh86 · 2018-05 · Reference
I think the more relevant videos are: Pad abort test: [VIDEO] Pad abort test (POV): [LINK] Stream of the same test: [LINK]
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rory096 · 2016-09 · Reference
Actually they specifically plan to load astronauts before fueling begins. If they're in the capsule the launch escape system (LES)[1] can propel them away from any on-pad disaster; not so if they're still walking across the gantry. That said, NASA has raised concerns about loading crew pre-fueling as part of the NASA-SpaceX Commercial Crew development contract (CCDev). [1] Here's a video of the LES test for Dragon 2: [VIDEO]
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Sources

Video by SpaceX, played through YouTube.

HN Library · Source license

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