This week, SpaceX conducted its pad abort test at Cape Canaveral. The test proved that there is an immense improvement in preparing Dragoon capsules to fly astronauts to the International Space Station within two years or so.

In the pad abort test conducted on Wednesday, the Dragon fired eight SuperDraco engines with an aim to see how it would escape from a launch pad emergency. These engines have been designed in such a manner to allow the spacecraft to perform powered landings on land.

CEO Elon Musk was happy with the test result. He affirmed that the test has also showed Dragon’s ability to carry science payloads to the moon, Mars, the Jovian moon Europa and any other places across the solar system.

“When boosted on a Falcon Heavy (rocket), it can pretty much go anywhere. So we're kind of excited about exploring that possibility”, affirmed Musk. Later this year or early next year, Space X has to launch the Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A.

This heavy-lift rocket will be the world’s most powerful launch vehicle and will generate 4.5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Musk said that Dragon has a combination of a heat shield and parachutes. Dragon is not only to be intended not only fly astronauts, but also to serve as a ‘generalized science delivery platform’.

When the probe would be destined without an atmosphere, the Dragon’s parachutes and heat shield could be replaced with more engine propellant. “So I think it should be quite versatile and useful in a lot of ways for both the science community and for transporting astronauts”, said Musk.