IS CALLING IT A BIG SUCCESS THAT WILL HELP BRING BACK ASTRONAUT LAUNCHES TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. DAN: THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF ROCKET FUEL IGNITED IN THE KIND OF FIREBALL THAT NORMALLY SPELLS DOOM OVER THE SPACE COAST, BUT THIS ONE BROUGHT NOTHING BUT A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND EVEN A FEW WISECRACKS. >> THERE WERE DEFINITELY NO BIG PIECES OF THE ROCKET LEFT. [LAUGHTER] DAN: THE SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET THAT LIFTED OFF CARRIED A DRAGON SPACECRAFT BUILT FOR ASTRONAUTS, BUT A LOOK INSIDE SHOWED NO ONE BUT A COUPLE OF MANNEQUINS. 84 SECONDS INTO THE FLIGHT, SPACEX DELIBERATELY SHUT DOWN THE ROCKET ENGINES, SIMULATING A LAUNCH DISASTER. >> DRAGON LAUNCH ESCAPE INITIATED. DAN: THE ASTRONAUT CAPSULE GOT AWAY. THE POWERLESS ROCKET EXPLODED. NOW THE CAPSULE WAS FLYING ON ITS OWN, AFTER FIRING ITS OWN THRUSTERS POWERFULLY ENOUGH TO MOVE IT A HALF-MILE IN SEVEN SECONDS. MOMENTS LATER, THE 12-FOOT SPACECRAFT SEPARATED FROM ITS LOWER SECTION. IT DEPLOYED ITS PARACHUTES, AND LANDED SOFTLY AND SAFELY IN THE OCEAN. ANYONE ONBOARD WOULD HAVE SURVIVED. NOT ONLY THAT, EVEN IF THE EXPLOSION HAD OCCURRED BEFORE THE CAPSULE SEPARATED, ITS BUILDER SAYS THE CAPSULE WOULD HAVE SURVIVED. >> IT COULD, QUITE LITERALLY, LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF "STAR WARS," FLY RIGHT OUT OF THE FIREBALL. DAN: TWO ASTRONAUTS WHO WATCHED IT ALL WERE IMPRESSED. >> AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE’RE VERY INTERESTED IN THESE ESCAPE SYSTEMS AND HOW THEY WORK. DAN: THE NEW ESCAPE SYSTEM REPRESENTS NOTHING LESS THAN THE ABILITY TO SURVIVE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER EXPLOSION. AND IT’S THE FINAL STEP TOWARD QUALIFYING THE DRAGON TO FLY ASTRONAUTS. THAT COULD HAPPEN SHORTLY AFTER MARCH 30. >> IT’S PROBABLE THAT THE FIRST CREWED LAUNCH WILL OCCUR IN THE SECOND QUARTER.