SpaceX is gearing up for two critical commercial crew tests involving its Dragon capsule in the coming months: a pad abort test in Florida, and an in-flight abort at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The pad abort test will occur sometime between Feb. 10 and May 10 according to an application for special temporary authority (STA) that SpaceX has filed with the Federal Commission Commission. The STA is required for use of radio frequency during the test.

The application specifies a maximum altitude of 6,000 feet and a maximum downrange distance of three kilometers. SpaceX will conduct the test from Complex 40 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The STA application indicates this is an extension of an earlier FCC approval. SpaceX had earlier anticipated conducting the abort test no earlier than Nov. 20, 2014.

No date has been announced for the in-flight abort test at Vandenberg.

The two abort tests are the final two milestones to be accomplished under SpaceX’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capabilities (CCiCap) agreement with NASA. The milestones are worth $30 million apiece.

Both milestones are running significantly behind the original schedule. The pad abort was originally set for November 2013; the in-flight abort for April 2014.

SpaceX has completed 18 of 20 milestones under CCiCAP, collecting a total of $400 out of a total of $460 million in awards.

In September, NASA awarded SpaceX and Boeing contracts under its Commercial Crew Transportation Capability effort. The companies will build, test and fly their vehicles to the International Space Station under this final phase of the commercial crew program.

SpaceX CCiCAP Milestone Status

Award Period: August 2012 – March 2015

Milestones: 20

Milestones Completed: 18

Milestones Remaining: 2

Total Possible Award: $460 Million

Total Award to Date: $400 Million

Total Award Remaining: $60 Million

