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Falcon 9 Block 5 | Dragon In-Flight Abort Test
SpaceX · Falcon 9 Block 5 · Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
SpaceX's 90th launch · 2nd this year
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Window: Jan 19, 13:00 – Jan 19, 19:00 UTC
Flight preview
Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test
When the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket reaches Max-Q (maximum dynamic forces), the launch abort system of the Crew Dragon spacecraft will be triggered. This will fire up its SuperDraco engines and propel the spacecraft and its theoretical passengers away from the launch vehicle before landing back safely in the Atlantic Ocean. The goal of this test is to demonstrate the capacity of the spacecraft to ensure a safe return to the ground for the astronauts in the event of a launch vehicle failure. The booster for this launch will be B1046, a thrice-flown core which was the first of the Block 5 generation. It will not attempt to land and is expected to be destroyed by the SuperDracos and aerodynamic loads.
Test Flight · Suborbital (Sub)
Booster
- B1046 · flight 4 · expendable · last flew Falcon 9 Block 5 | Spaceflight SSO-A · zone record 38/42
