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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)聽announced Thursday that SpaceX has successfully conducted a .

狈础厂础听 over Coolidge, Arizona. A dummy version of the Dragon capsule was carried by a C-130 aircraft.

This is one of the final tests in a battery of them, required by NASA鈥檚 Commercial Crew Program. Through the program, the agency contracts to private corporations, such as SpaceX, to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

In the video, a NASA representative said that, 鈥渢ests like this allow engineers to assess the reliability of flight-like hardware.鈥�

When SpaceX鈥檚 Crew Dragon spacecraft is able to successfully , the capsule will be able to ferry crew members to and from the International Space Station.

According to NASA鈥檚 website, 鈥淯ltimately, the goal is to establish safe, reliable and cost-effective . Once a transportation capability is certified to meet NASA requirements, the agency will fly missions to meet its space station crew rotation and emergency return obligations.鈥�

SpaceX and Boeing were both awarded contracts to carry astronauts to and from the ISS in 2014. In November 2015, SpaceX received its 聽鈥� the first crewed flights are scheduled for 2017.

Gwynne Shotwell, president and CEO of SpaceX, when she heard the news.

鈥淲hen Crew Dragon takes NASA astronauts to the space station in 2017, they will be riding in one of the safest, most reliable spacecraft ever flown," Ms. Shotwell said.聽"We're honored to be developing this capability for NASA and our country.鈥�

Currently, NASA pays the Russian Federal Space Agency to ferry American astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The takes 3.5 hours to return to Earth, and lands in Kazakhstan.

SpaceX, founded by tech mogul and , first won a NASA cargo contract in 2006. It flew its first cargo mission in 2012. The original capsule design that SpaceX is currently using to ferry cargo was also designed to carry human passengers.

The parachute system on the newer Crew Dragon capsule is from previous tests, with four main parachutes as well as drogue parachutes. Drogue parachutes slow the capsule before the main parachutes are deployed.

Astronauts who travel in the Crew Dragon capsule . Crew Dragon was designed with comfort in mind 鈥� a climate-controlled cabin and high quality seats will keep astronauts happy on the way to the International Space Station. The capsule鈥檚 emergency escape system is designed to keep them safe.

While, 鈥淚nitially, the spacecraft will splash down safely in the ocean using parachutes,鈥� according to the NASA representative featured in the test video, 鈥渦ltimately the company wants to land the vehicle on land using eight SuperDraco engines.鈥�

The capsule鈥檚 water landings recall NASA鈥檚 Apollo capsule splash downs. SpaceX with its propulsion engines in November and hopes that it will eventually be able to achieve a propulsive landing.

Another private contractor, Sierra Nevada, won a NASA cargo resupply contract earlier this month. The company鈥檚 Dream Chaser shuttles are designed like miniature versions of NASA鈥檚 familiar space shuttle, and can land on conventional runways.