Ripley, the SpaceX test dummy, is buckled in and ready for launch

Space travel is set to take a pivotal step forward this weekend.
SpaceX, in the first test demonstration of a commercial crew capsule designed to eventually send astronauts to the International Space Station, plans to launch its Crew Dragon spacecraft on Saturday, March 2, at 2:49 a.m. ET, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
The commercial spaceflight company has worked closely with NASA engineers to design a capsule that meets the agency's rigorous safety standards. This six-day mission — w