CANADA: NASA has approved a $30 million milestone payment to SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement with the company after it gained a recent success in pad abort test of its Crew Dragon spacecraft.
It has been said that data gathered during the test is very important for understanding the safety and performance of the Crew Dragon spacecraft as the company continues to move on the path of certification for crew missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
Data will also help to improve the return ability of the craft to launch astronauts from the United States.
The Crew Dragon’s eight SuperDraco engines were fired at 9 am EDT on May 6 for about six seconds. Every single engine of the craft produced about 15,000 pounds of thrust lifting the spacecraft off a specially built platform located at Cape Canaveral Air force Station’s Space launch Complex 40 in Florida.
It was told that the spacecraft traveled almost 3,561 feet (1,187 meters) before jettisoning its trunk and safely splashing down under three main parachutes in the Atlantic Ocean, 3,606 feet (1,202 meters) from the launch pad.
Jon Cowart, partner manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said, “This test was highly visible and provided volumes of important information, which serves as tangible proof that our team is making significant progress toward launching crews on American rockets from America soon”.
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