SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule was designed to be able to deliver humans to space. In a newly released video, the Dragon Capsule can be seen taking off, hovering slightly above the ground during a test that had taken place in November of last year. The “hover test” was performed in McGregor, Texas.
The video shows a Dragon 2 mockup being attached to a cable that’s holding it above a pad. Its eight SuperDraco thrusters kick on simultaneously, allowing the vehicle to hover for five seconds under its own power. The force of the jet packs generated approximately 33,000 lbs. of thrust before the vehicle returns to its original resting position. SpaceX hopes to use these vehicles to bring people to space and back, along with payloads.