SpaceX has been launching test flights to and from the International Space Station in secret -- and they've all been a success to date.
Unfortunately for impatient space travel fans, they are all taking place entirely in Hawthorne, California.
The Crew Dragon simulation involves detailed checks of the cargo delivery spacecraft's avionics systems, including the hardware and software. The idea was to check how the two systems would operate in conjunction during a crewed flight.
"It may not sound exciting," admitted Space X vice president of mission assurance, Hans Koenigsmann, "but it's a really, really important tool."
"We can basically fly the Crew Dragon on the ground -- flip the switches, touch the screens, test the algorithms and the batteries -- all before testing the avionics system in flight. It's important to get the avionics right before putting it into the capsule."
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