Transcript for SpaceX successfully launches rocket en route for the International Space Station
Back here at home to the successful spacex liftoff. A major test though for flight scientists and it could reignite a new wave of Americans at the helm in space. Here’s ABC’s senior transportation correspondent, David Kerley. Ignition. Lift off. Reporter: America’s hopes to again launch astronauts to space took off early this morning. Spacex’s falcon 9 testing its dragon crew capsule with a test dummy dubbed “Ripley.” The dawn of a new era, which emotionally drained spacex’s chief Elon Musk. That was super stressful, but it worked. Reporter: The test flight to prove that capsule is safe for astronauts. How did the mannequin test dummy — how did Ripley do? The data is all looking very good. The mannequin did not complain once. It looked fine. Reporter: Spacex launching from pad 39, where Apollo and shuttle missions took off, but has not seen crew launches for eight years. With America relying on the Russians. The dragon capsule faces two more big tests — docking with the space station Sunday morning, and re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere five days later. But a major step tonight toward sending American astronauts from American soil to space. It’s not just spacex planning to carry Americans to the space station. Boeing is producing its star liner capsule which it hopes to test next month. Tom? David, thank you. And there’s much more ahead
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