Tuesday, June 26, 2018

SpaceX Shows Off Crew Capsule Chute Testing

Hawthorne-based SpaceX said on Tuesday that it has completed its 16th test of the parachute system for its crewed Dragon module, part of the company's efforts to launch astronauts into space. According to SpaceX, the recent test was held at the Naval Air Facility El Centro in Southern California, verifying the system's ability to slow Crew Dragon and ensure a safe landing in the unlikely event of a low altitude abort. The Navy's facility in El Centro is near Imperial, California, well east of San Diego and north of the border from Mexicali, Mexico. SpaceX released a video of the parachute test on Tuesday.