Private US space transport company SpaceX is to test an eject button for astronauts on Wednesday in the first flight test of the abort system on the Dragon spaceship.
No people will be on board for the test, just a dummy whose name, “despite popular belief… is not Buster,” the California-based firm said.
The launch could take place as early as 9:00 am Wednesday (1300 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the window of opportunity extends until 2:30 pm.
Weather conditions are 70 percent favorable for take-off, NASA said.
The entire flight test will be over in less than two minutes, with the spacecraft hitting a height of 5,000 feet (1,500 meters), then jettisoning its trunk before falling into the Atlantic Ocean about 1.4 miles away from the launch pad.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!