Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, unveiled the Dragon V2 in Hawthorne, California on May 29, 2014 and will test the spacecraft on May 6, 2015.

SpaceX stated there is life-saving technology that will revolutionize space travel in the 21st century making it safer with an eight engine model for the new craft.

The new eight engine model is designed to get the craft and crew members to safety in the event of a rocket failure. The engines are named SuperDraco and can also help to land the capsule. Other craft have a launch escape system which does not necessarily include the ability to land the craft.

Also important to note is that the SuperDraco engines were 3D printed, unique to this craft. In an interview with the media on April 30, 2015, the Vice President for Mission Assurance, said, “This test is going to show that we have delivered a revolutionary system for the safety of astronauts and this test is going to show how it works.”

The test will begin on Wednesday, between 7:30 AM and 2:30 PM (EDT), whenever the most favorable weather conditions are present.

The test is only 90 seconds long and here are some of the rudimentary facts on the test:

• The Dragon 2 vehicle will launch out of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on top of a permanently grounded Falcon 9 rocket. (The rocket will not actually launch. It’s there to test the Dragon 2’s ability to separate from the rocket, like it might in the event of a malfunction.)

• The first six seconds: All eight SuperDraco engines will fire. After six seconds Dragon 2 will be traveling at a maximum speed of 400 miles per hour and the engines will shut off.

• The next 14 seconds: Dragon 2 will coast to a maximum height of 0.9 miles above ground. After the first 20 seconds, the spacecraft will start to fall back to earth.

• For the final 70 seconds, Dragon 2 will deploy a series of parachutes that slow its descent as it prepares to land in the Atlantic Ocean where it will be retrieved.