--- title: "Elon Musk: First Commercial Crew Test Will Be “Especially Dangerous”" description: "Despite delays and a partial government shutdown, SpaceX and NASA are working hard to get the crewed Dragon spacecraft off the launchpad." date: "2019-01-07" modified: "2019-01-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-first-commercial-crew-test-especially-dangerous" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Off-World" - "Space" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "crew dragon" - "elon musk" - "NASA" - "SpaceX" --- # Elon Musk: First Commercial Crew Test Will Be “Especially Dangerous” ![]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Especially Dangerous In a matter of weeks, SpaceX will be launching a brand new Crew Dragon spacecraft capsule to the International Space Station — an unmanned test of a spacecraft intended to ferry human crews to orbit. As such, the test will be a make-or-break moment for SpaceX. In a [reply on Twitter]() this week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk conceded that the launch will be "especially dangerous" and "extremely intense." ## Expect Delays The launch of the crewed Dragon capsule has been a long time coming, despite strong support from NASA. Prior [launch dates have come and gone](), and this week is no exception: NASA originally planned on Jan. 17 for launch, but thanks to a partial government shutdown that might not happen after all, *Ars Technica* [reported](). Despite the circumstances, SpaceX has gone full steam ahead with getting its crewed Dragon spacecraft off the launchpad. Musk [tweeted]() that the private space company was "about a month away" from launch on Friday. ## Commercial Spaceflight If the launch succeeds, commercial human spaceflight is about to become a lot cheaper. And it will be far easier to pilot, too. The Crew Dragon is equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software that makes navigating the capsule [far easier]() than the complex maneuvers required to steer a Soyuz spacecraft — a remnant of early spaceflight dating back to the 1960s. SpaceX has a lot of hurdles to overcome in the upcoming months, and it will likely take a number of test flights until SpaceX is confident enough to allow humans to ride the Dragon. But if SpaceX does succeed — and so far, history seems to be on the company's side — outer space could seem a lot closer in the near future. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX demo flight a month away, will be “especially dangerous,” Musk says]() \[*Ars Technica*\] ***More on the crewed Dragon spacecraft:** [SpaceX's Crew Dragon Goes Vertical for First Test Launch]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()