When the astronauts are installed in a capsule ready to take off, they usually say they are sitting on a bomb. No fake and no wonder that reassures with an ejection system for separating the capsule launcher stuffed explosives , sorry … fuel. It is in this framework that the capsule ejection test has been successfully completed this Wednesday, May 6 (video at the bottom of the article).
What was the purpose of this test?
The test was essentially to recover data to perfect the space capsule that SpaceX develops. To this end, the unmanned experimental capsule was equipped with 270 sensors with one passenger on board for a dummy.
If SpaceX is developing a space capsule, it is because American society must meet a $ 2.6 billion contract with NASA to carry with her Dragon V2 capsule astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from the end of 2017. It must therefore ensure that Astronauts arrive safely, and can be saved in case something happens.
You should also know that the boss of SpaceX, Elon Musk (Tesla also patron) has an obsession: to go to Mars. In an interview, he explained that within 11-12 years, it is realistic to imagine that we send men to the red planet. Since nothing is free, it is likely that the Dragon capsule, used by NASA, will also serve for trips to Mars.
How was the test?
Pretty good. The capsule was torn from its firing platform on the air base at Cape Canaveral in Florida as expected around 15h (Paris time). The test lasted only 90 seconds. The Dragon V2 capsule and ejection system were powered by eight engines SuperDraco to about 1,500 meters.
The ejection system is then separated from Dragon shortly afterwards deployed three large red and white parachutes before falling gently and arise in the Atlantic, about 1.5 km off the coast. This system is similar to the ejection mechanism of the seat of a fighter pilot, but in this case, the ship and crew that are ejected.
Here’s the test SpaceX (from 15mn)
looks like this ejection in reality.
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