The Dragon capsule catapulted itself from the rocket and its eight thrusters fired to propel it out of harm’s way before the rocket exploded in a fiery mid-air flash. SpaceX flight controllers at the company's California headquarters cheered every milestone — especially the splashdown. The 9-minute test flight appeared to be a success, with no unexpected surprises. The test was the last major hurdle for SpaceX before launching two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. The last time NASA astronauts launched from the U.S. was in 2011; they've been riding Russian rockets in the interim for hefty prices.

Source: Fox News January 19, 2020 16:30 UTC