NASA needs SpaceX to prove it can fly astronauts safely. Saturday's test flight is called a 'crucial step.'

The Securities and Exchange Commission is all over him. The Air Force inspector general is auditing his launch certifications. And even NASA, one of his most ardent supporters, is reviewing the safety culture at SpaceX after Elon Musk smoked a joint on a podcast. If that wasn't enough pressure, the billionaire entrepreneur is facing one of the most crucial moments in SpaceX's history early Saturday, when the spacecraft designed to carry humans is scheduled to lift off from a storied launch site here. Although the Dragon spacecraft won't be carrying astronauts -- only a mannequin with sensors and about 400 pounds of cargo -- the flight will mark a significant step toward the restoration of human spaceflight from U.S. soil since the space shuttle was retired nearly eight years ago.