At Least For A Few Seconds ... Much Testing Remains To Be done

A video released by SpaceX documents a test conducted last month of the hovering capabilities of its Dragon V2 capsule.

On the description on the company's YouTube page, SpaceX says that on November 24, SpaceX’s Dragon 2, powered by eight SuperDraco engines, executed a picture-perfect propulsive hover test at the company’s rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas.

Eight SuperDraco thrusters, positioned around the perimeter of the vehicle in pairs called “jet packs”, fired up simultaneously to raise the Crew Dragon spacecraft for a five-second hover, generating approximately 33,000 lbs of thrust before returning the vehicle to its resting position. This test was the second of a two-part milestone under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The first test—a short firing of the engines intended to verify a healthy propulsion system—was completed November 22, and the longer burn two-days later demonstrated vehicle control while hovering.

However, the first crews to fly in the Dragon V2 will not use the SuperDraco thrusters to land softly on the ground ... at least not at first. Engaget reports that NASA says those astronauts will return to Earth using the more traditional parachutes with a splashdown in the ocean.

(Image from SpaceX video)

FMI: Video