--- title: "SpaceX Says It’ll Drive Astronauts to Launchpad in Tesla Model X" description: "NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley got to ride a Tesla Model X to the launch pad as part of a SpaceX pre-launch rehearsal over the weekend." date: "2020-01-21" modified: "2020-01-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-drive-astronauts-tesla-model-x" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Tesla" tags: - "crew dragon" - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Says It’ll Drive Astronauts to Launchpad in Tesla Model X ![NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley got to ride a Tesla Model X to the launch pad as part of a SpaceX pre-launch rehearsal over the weekend.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## New Wheels After SpaceX [nailed its most recent critical test]() of its Crew Dragon spacecraft over the weekend, NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Doug Hurley are [inching closer]() to the first crewed SpaceX mission headed for the International Space Station. The two space veterans were put through a dry run of pre-launch activities over the weekend, riding from the crew quarters to the launch pad in style — inside a Tesla Model X, and wearing matching black-and-white SpaceX spacesuits, [*Teslarati* reports](). ## Beautiful Whips A Tesla spokesperson [confirmed]() to the *Associated Press* Sunday that Teslas will be the official SpaceX vehicle to get astronauts to the launch pad. Boeing is sticking with its [Astrovan]() for now — a vintage Airstream. Behnken and Hurley, however, weren't on board for Sunday's in-flight abort test — [two crash test dummies]() took their place. ## Emergency Escape The rocket test was a dramatic sight. SpaceX intentionally blew up the Falcon 9 rocket that had launched the Crew Dragon, carrying it to safety by engaging its eight thrusters mid-flight. "Today, we watched the demonstration of a system that we hope to never use, but can save lives if we ever do," Hurley said in a [NASA statement]() from Sunday. "It took a lot of work between NASA and SpaceX to get to this point, and we can’t wait to take a ride to the space station soon." **READ MORE:** [Tesla, SpaceX confirm Model X will be official ride of astronauts]() \[*Teslarati*\] **More on Space:** *[Elon Musk Says He’ll Put A Million People on Mars By 2050]()* ## 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]()