SpaceX rocket explodes after liftoff as planned; Crew Dragon capsule escapes fireball
on Sunday, ultimately sacrificing itself to test a Crew Dragon capsule's lifesaving abort capabilities. The 10:30 a.m. liftoff from pad 39A looked like any other mission: Nine Merlin main engines roared through a thin layer of stubborn clouds, taking the capsule to about 55,000 feet in altitude and then abruptly cutting thrust. That preplanned maneuver to turn the engines off essentially told Crew Dragon's onboard computers that something had gone catastrophically wrong with the mission. If the capsule didn't abort, any crew – had they been ...
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