Glorious Photos Of SpaceX's Crew Dragon Abort Test Explosion

SpaceX just blew up one of it's Falcon 9 booster rockets to test its emergency escape system, and we have some great HD photos of it being launched and blown up in the sky. It's only a matter of time until NASA astronauts are sent up to the International Space Station on the SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule. Before that's possible, though, a few more things need to be tested.

One of those things is making sure that if something goes wrong during the takeoff, the astronauts will be able to get away safely. In order to test the emergency escape system, SpaceX had to sacrifice one of it's Falcon 9 rockets. The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Capsule were unmanned and 90 seconds after liftoff, the Dragon Capsule disengaged and the Falcon 9 rocket exploded under intense off-nominal stresses. The propellant tanks in the rocket created a fireball about 1,000 feet in diameter.

Elon Musk later said the test was "picture-perfect" and if things continue proceeding as successfully as this test, Crew Dragon capsules could be carrying astronauts to the International Space Station in just a few months.

Want to see more science photos? Check out these snaps of the far side of the moon.

Posted by nightqueen