February 04, 2020

Episode 623: Escape! Spaceflight Abort Systems from the Launch Pad to Interplanetary Travel

15 minutes

On Sunday, January 19th, 2020, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying its newly designed Crew Dragon spacecraft. 84 seconds into flight, at the moment of maximum aerodynamic pressure, the capsule fired its eight SuperDraco thrusters, detaching from the top of the rocket and flying ahead.

Moments after, the Falcon 9 rocket exploded in midair, destroying a completely good rocket, but the capsule was completely safe, jettisoning its trunk and landing gently in the ocean a few minutes later.

Nobody was on board the spacecraft, just a couple of test dummies, but this test proved that in the case of an emergency during the ascent stage fo the mission, Crew Dragon would be able to carry its astronaut crew to safety.

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Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw

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References:

https://spacenews.com/spacex-performs-in-flight-abort-test-of-crew-dragon-spacecraft/

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690017921.pdf

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/albums/72157649018048375/with/22609781825

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzIcDDJyTRI

https://spaceflightnow.com/2015/05/06/spacex-crew-capsule-completes-dramatic-abort-test/

https://spacenews.com/boeing-performs-starliner-pad-abort-test/

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/12/world/soyuz-accident-quietly-conceded.html

https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/space/5-myths-of-challenger-shuttle-disaster-debunked.aspx

https://apnews.com/50c3be84147652b242204463a5b036d5

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/successful-orion-test-brings-nasa-closer-to-moon-mars-missions

https://www.space.com/42319-soyuz-launch-abort-russia-identifies-cause.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/30/us/challenger-limps-into-a-low-orbit-as-an-engine-fails.html

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690017921.pdf

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-international-space-station-iss-computer-spacewalk-broken-mission-emergency-a7749956.html

http://www.spaceref.com/iss/ops/iss.emergency.ops.pdf

https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap13fj/10day3-free-return.html

https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAC/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Inspiration-Mars-2018-Free-Return-Trajectory-Edelman-Hughes-Longuski-Loucks-Carrico-Tito.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6lPMFgZU5Q

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By Fraser Cain

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516516 ratings

February 04, 2020

Episode 623: Escape! Spaceflight Abort Systems from the Launch Pad to Interplanetary Travel

15 minutes

Our Book is out!

https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/

Audio Podcast version:

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2

RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio

Weekly email newsletter:

https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter

Weekly Space Hangout:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/

Astronomy Cast:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg

Support us at https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

More stories at https://www.universetoday.com/

Twitch: https://twitch.tv/fcain

Twitter: https://twitter.com/universetoday

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday

Instagram - https://instagram.com/universetoday

Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / [email protected]

Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw

Chad Weber - [email protected]

References:

https://spacenews.com/spacex-performs-in-flight-abort-test-of-crew-dragon-spacecraft/

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690017921.pdf

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/albums/72157649018048375/with/22609781825

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzIcDDJyTRI

https://spaceflightnow.com/2015/05/06/spacex-crew-capsule-completes-dramatic-abort-test/

https://spacenews.com/boeing-performs-starliner-pad-abort-test/

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/12/world/soyuz-accident-quietly-conceded.html

https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/space/5-myths-of-challenger-shuttle-disaster-debunked.aspx

https://apnews.com/50c3be84147652b242204463a5b036d5

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/successful-orion-test-brings-nasa-closer-to-moon-mars-missions

https://www.space.com/42319-soyuz-launch-abort-russia-identifies-cause.html

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/30/us/challenger-limps-into-a-low-orbit-as-an-engine-fails.html

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690017921.pdf

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-international-space-station-iss-computer-spacewalk-broken-mission-emergency-a7749956.html

http://www.spaceref.com/iss/ops/iss.emergency.ops.pdf

https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap13fj/10day3-free-return.html

https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAC/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Inspiration-Mars-2018-Free-Return-Trajectory-Edelman-Hughes-Longuski-Loucks-Carrico-Tito.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6lPMFgZU5Q

Support Universe Today Podcast

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