Save SpaceX has put a Crew Dragon on Pad 40 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first time. This means that going forward, SpaceX will have two pads to choose from when sending astronauts to space. Up to now, crews launching on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft lift off from Pad 39A at Kennedy, but having another launch site available gives NASA and SpaceX greater flexibility when planning missions by easing pressure on teams if scheduling issues and traffic conflicts arise. Recommended Videos As part of building out the crew facilities for Pad 40, SpaceX tested its new emergency chute that allows astronauts to make a quick escape from the launchpad in the event of an issue shortly before liftoff. Astronauts are strapped into their Crew Dragon seats for several hours before launch, and so if an anomaly occurs in that time and the astronauts need to get out, or if an astronaut becomes incapacitated for whatever reason, the chute offers a rapid exit path. Related