SpaceX performed a successful test of its
parachute system for the Crew Dragon spacecraft
near Coolidge, Arizona as part of its final
development and certification work with NASA's
Commercial Crew Program.
Using a weight simulant in the place of a
boilerplate spacecraft, four main parachutes
were rigged to deploy just as they would when
the Crew Dragon returns to Earth with astronauts
aboard.
Carried into the sky aboard a C-130 cargo
aircraft, the test assembly was released from
the back of the aircraft.
Tests like this allow engineers to assess
the reliability of flight-like hardware.
Initially, the spacecraft will splash down
safely in the ocean under parachutes, but
ultimately the company wants to land the vehicle
on land using eight SuperDraco engines.
SpaceX recently tested propulsive land landing
ability in Texas.
SpaceX and Boeing are working in separate
partnerships with NASA to build a new generation
of human-rated spacecraft to take astronauts
to the International Space Station.
