- SpaceX just completed a crucial safety test that's designed to show its Crew Dragon capsule is ready to carry astronauts to space.
- The company's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 10:30 a.m. ET, but mission controllers intentionally shut off its engines about 84 seconds into the flight.
- At that moment, the Crew Dragon spaceship detached and sped away with its own rocket engines. Seconds later the tumbling rocket exploded under the strain of aerodynamic forces.
- About 9 minutes into the mission, the Crew Dragon space capsule splashed down into the Atlantic Ocean, where recovery crews are now working to recover the ship.
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SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, has just completed a vital safety test of its new spaceship for NASA astronauts with flying colors - and a gigantic explosion.
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