Orion Windows Provide New Outlook for Spacecraft’s Future
Orion’s windows are pictured in this photograph taken Dec. 5, 2014 after the spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean following its successful first flight test
An infrared image shows the Orion crew module floating in the water about 600 miles southwest of San Diego at the end of its 2014 flight test.
When astronauts travel to an asteroid and toward Mars in NASA’s Orion spacecraft, they’ll get a tremendous view of their deep space destinations and of Earth through the spacecraft’s windows. NASA engineers are making sure those windows will be more structurally sound, lighter and cheaper than on previous spacecraft.
On spacefaring vehicles like the space shuttle and the International Space Station that have enabled humans to push the boundaries of exploration, windows have typically been made of multiple panes of glass. Orion is being developed to include interior panes of an acrylic plastic material, a change that is improving the windows’ integrity.
“Glass windowpanes have historically been part of the pressure shell on spacecraft that holds cabin pressure to keep the astronauts alive, and they also provided thermal protection from entry though Earth’s atmosphere,” said Lynda Estes, Orion window subsystem manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where the Orion Program is managed for the agency. “But the insidious thing about glass is that it’s a poor structural material. If you put loads on it, it will lose strength over time, and if you get a ding on it, the strength is dramatically decreased. The spaceflight environment is one that unfortunately exploits these vulnerabilities.”
Because glass is not an ideal material to use in a spacecraft, engineers have been on the lookout for something better. Many structurally sound materials exist, but few are also transparent.
During the early stages of Orion development, a polycarbonate material was considered for some of the interior window panes, but it didn’t have the demanding optical properties needed for high resolution imagery. The acrylic material that has since been chosen for the spacecraft was selected because it provides a clear view and also has an inherent strength that can be quantified. Aquariums around the country are using the same material, protecting the animals and plants behind them from the wear and tear of millions of visitors traveling through exhibits and sometimes pressing up against them to get a closer look while also enduring the loads of water in the tanks.
Currently Orion has four windows on the crew module/back shell cone, and additional windows on the docking hatch and the side hatch that the crew will use. Each window on the cone has three panes. The innermost pane on the cone windows is acrylic. Acrylic panes flew in space during Orion’s first flight test in December 2014, and engineers will further test the thermal integrity of acrylic panes this year to determine whether Orion can move to windows made of two acrylic panes and one glass pane.
In the coming months, Estes and her team also will put acrylic panes through an evaluation known as a “creep test.” Acrylics can be susceptible to loading over long time spans, so the test will evaluate how a pane handles pressure loads during a 270-day period.
The work being done to incorporate acrylic panes into Orion is also helping to make the spacecraft lighter. Because the structural integrity is enhanced, and an inadvertent scratch or other damage to it won’t jeopardize its strength, a multitude of panes isn’t needed to provide redundancy. Reducing the number of panes in the Orion windows not only reduces the collective weight, but the acrylic material also is half as dense and doesn’t weigh as much as glass.
“For Orion’s flight test vehicle, the use of acrylic pressure panes reduced the weight of the window subsystem by more than 200 pounds,” said Estes. A change of the redundant thermal pane from glass to acrylic could yield 30 pounds of savings or more. Reducing mass lowers the cost of getting to space, since decreasing weight means less propulsion is required to get a spacecraft out of Earth’s atmosphere.
The move to acrylic panes also has provided cost savings because the plastic material is considerably less expensive than glass. The glass panes used on Orion have also provided savings—they were all manufactured from stock glass originally purchased for the Space Shuttle Program. At the retirement of the orbiters, Estes had these assets transferred to Lockheed Martin, NASA’s prime contractor for Orion. Building windowpanes from these assets will reduce the cost of the Orion glass flight panes by more than $2 million.
NASA’s work on the lightweight window materials for Orion has also been shared with the Commercial Crew Program facilitating the development of U.S. commercial crew space transportation systems to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit.
Enough testing has not yet been done to show that every pane can be made of the acrylic material, but the window modifications are providing a new outlook for Orion’s future.
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Jason Roberts
Tags: Journey to Mars, Orion Spacecraft
Jan. 7, 2015
Orion Spacecraft in Post-Mission Processing at Kennedy Space Center
Bearing the marks of a spacecraft that has returned to Earth through a searing plunge into the atmosphere, NASA's Orion spacecraft is perched on a pedestal inside the Launch Abort System Facility at Kennedy Space Center, where it is going through post-mission processing. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, third from right, looks over the Orion spacecraft on the morning of Jan. 6, 2015. At far right is Jules Schneider, Lockheed Martin manager. Standing near Bolden is Paul Cooper, a Lockheed Martin manager. At far left is Kennedy Space Center Associate Director Kelvin Manning.
Orion was returned to Kennedy Space Center following a successful Dec. 5, 2014 flight test. Although the spacecraft Bolden looked over did not fly with a crew aboard during the flight test, Orion is designed to carry astronauts into deep space in the future setting NASA and the nation firmly on the journey to Mars.
Image Credit: NASA/Cory Huston
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Sarah Loff
Dec. 19, 2014
M14-206
Video Gives Astronaut’s-Eye View Inside NASA’s Orion Spacecraft
New video recorded during the return of NASA’s Orion through Earth’s atmosphere this month provides a taste of the intense conditions the spacecraft and the astronauts it carries will endure when they return from deep space destinations on the journey to Mars.
Among the first data to be removed from Orion following its uncrewed Dec. 5 flight test was video recorded through windows in Orion’s crew module. Although much of the video was transmitted down to Earth and shown in real time on NASA Television, it was not available in its entirety. Also, the blackout caused by the superheated plasma surrounding the vehicle as it endured the peak temperatures of its descent prevented downlink of any information at that key point. However, the cameras were able to record the view and now the public can have an up-close look at the extreme environment a spacecraft experiences as it travels back through Earth's environment from beyond low-Earth orbit.
The video begins 10 minutes before Orion's 11:29 a.m. EST splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, just as the spacecraft was beginning to experience Earth's atmosphere. Peak heating from the friction caused by the atmosphere rubbing against Orion's heat shield comes less than two minutes later, and the footage shows the plasma created by the interaction change from white to yellow to lavender to magenta as the temperature increases.
As Orion emerges safely on the other side of its trial by fire, the camera continues to record the deployment of the series of parachutes that slowed it to a safe 20 mph for landing and the final splash as Orion touched down on Earth.
NASA's Orion spacecraft is viewed by members of the media at the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion made the 8-day, 2,700 mile overland trip back to Kennedy from Naval Base San Diego in California. Analysis of date obtained during its two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission Dec. 5 will provide engineers detailed information on how the spacecraft fared. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program led the recovery, offload and transportation efforts.
Credits: NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis
Orion was then retrieved by a combined NASA, U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin team and carried back to shore aboard the Navy's USS Anchorage. After returning to shore, it was loaded on to a truck and driven back to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it arrived on Thursday.
Orion traveled 3,600 miles above Earth on its 4.5-hour flight test – farther than any spacecraft built for humans has been in more than 40 years. In coming back from that distance, it also traveled faster and experienced hotter temperatures – 20,000 mph and near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, to be exact. Orion will travel faster and experience even higher temperatures on future missions, when it returns from greater distances, but this altitude allowed engineers to perform a good checkout of Orion's critical systems – in particular its heat shield.
Orion's flight test was a critical step on NASA's journey to Mars. Work already has begun on the next Orion capsule, which will launch for the first time on top of NASA's new Space Launch System rocket and travel to a distant retrograde orbit around the moon.
To view the video of Orion’s re-entry, visit:
For information about Orion, visit:
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Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Karen Northon
Dec. 7, 2014
Orion Recovery
(Dec. 5, 2014) --- The U.S. Navy's USS Anchorage moves into place to recover NASA's Orion spacecraft following its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Orion launched into space on a two-orbit, 4.5-test flight at 7:05 am EST on Dec. 5, and returned safely to Earth, where a combined team from NASA, the Navy and Orion prime contractor Lockheed Martin retrieved it for return to shore. It's now being transported back to shore on board the Anchorage. It is expected to be off loaded at Naval Base San Diego on Monday.
Photo Credit: U.S. Navy
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Mark Garcia
Dec. 5, 2014
M14-199
NASA Invites Media to View Orion Spacecraft Recently Returned From Space
Media are invited to view NASA's Orion spacecraft Monday, Dec. 8 at Naval Base San Diego. Orion successfully completed its first flight test Friday, traveling 3,600 miles above Earth to test the spacecraft’s systems before it carries astronauts on deep space missions.
Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean approximately 600 miles southwest of San Diego after completing a two-orbit, 4.5 hour flight test that took it farther into space than any spacecraft built for humans has been in more than 40 years. NASA and the U.S. Navy, along with Orion prime contractor Lockheed Martin, are in the process of recovering Orion and returning it to shore.
Media interested in attending must contact Brandi Dean at brandi.k.dean@nasa.gov by 5 p.m. EST, Sunday, Dec. 7. A specific viewing time will be made available once the USS Anchorage (LPD-23), which is transporting Orion back to land, determines a precise arrival time.
Journalists and live trucks must arrive at the Naval Base San Diego Pass and Decal Building, located at the intersection of 32nd Street and Harbor Drive, for transportation to the event. Media will be able to photograph Orion as it is offloaded from the USS Anchorage, and interview NASA officials and the commanding officer of the USS Anchorage.
The spacecraft then will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida where engineers will gather more information about Orion’s performance.
Orion’s flight tested many of the systems most critical to crew safety, including key separation events, parachutes and its heatshield. During Orion’s re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft endured speeds of 20,000 mph and temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
For more information about the Orion Program, visit:
For more information about the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, which is responsible for Orion’s recovery, visit:
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LT Chelsea Irish
U.S. Navy – Expeditionary Strike Group THREE Recovery Operations
619-556-5478
chelsea.irish@navy.mil
U.S. Navy – Expeditionary Strike Group THREE Recovery Operations
619-556-5478
chelsea.irish@navy.mil
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Karen Northon
Dec. 5, 2014
14-325
NASA’s New Orion Spacecraft Completes First Spaceflight Test
Major Milestone on Agency's Journey to Mars
NASA marked a major milestone Friday on its journey to Mars as the Orion spacecraft completed its first voyage to space, traveling farther than any spacecraft designed for astronauts has been in more than 40 years.
“Today’s flight test of Orion is a huge step for NASA and a really critical part of our work to pioneer deep space on our Journey to Mars,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. “The teams did a tremendous job putting Orion through its paces in the real environment it will endure as we push the boundary of human exploration in the coming years.”
Orion blazed into the morning sky at 7:05 a.m. EST, lifting off from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. The Orion crew module splashed down approximately 4.5 hours later in the Pacific Ocean, 600 miles southwest of San Diego.
During the uncrewed test, Orion traveled twice through the Van Allen belt where it experienced high periods of radiation, and reached an altitude of 3,600 miles above Earth. Orion also hit speeds of 20,000 mph and weathered temperatures approaching 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it entered Earth’s atmosphere.
Orion will open the space between Earth and Mars for exploration by astronauts. This proving ground will be invaluable for testing capabilities future human Mars missions will need. The spacecraft was tested in space to allow engineers to collect critical data to evaluate its performance and improve its design. The flight tested Orion’s heat shield, avionics, parachutes, computers and key spacecraft separation events, exercising many of the systems critical to the safety of astronauts who will travel in Orion.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and William Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Directorate, and others in Building AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida monitor the Orion spacecraft as it returns to Earth and splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.
Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
On future missions, Orion will launch on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket currently being developed at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. A 70 metric-ton (77 ton) SLS will send Orion to a distant retrograde orbit around the moon on Exploration Mission-1 in the first test of the fully integrated Orion and SLS system.
“We really pushed Orion as much as we could to give us real data that we can use to improve Orion’s design going forward,” said Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager. “In the coming weeks and months we’ll be taking a look at that invaluable information and applying lessons learned to the next Orion spacecraft already in production for the first mission atop the Space Launch System rocket.”
A team of NASA, U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin personnel aboard the USS Anchorage are in the process of recovering Orion and will return it to U.S. Naval Base San Diego in the coming days. Orion will then be delivered to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will be processed. The crew module will be refurbished for use in Ascent Abort-2 in 2018, a test of Orion’s launch abort system.
Lockheed Martin, NASA’s prime contractor for Orion, began manufacturing the Orion crew module in 2011 and delivered it in July 2012 to the Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Facility at Kennedy where final assembly, integration and testing were completed. More than 1,000 companies across the country manufactured or contributed elements to Orion.
For more information about Orion, its flight test and the Journey to Mars, visit:
and
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Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Karen Northon
Nov. 28, 2014
NASA to Take Images of Orion Flight Test Splashdown
A number of teams will have eyes, cameras and telescopes trained on the skies for the splashdown of the first flight of NASA's Orion capsule — with the help of Navy and NASA aircraft.
The SCIFLI (Scientifically Calibrated In-Flight Imagery) team, based at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is preparing to capture thermal snapshots of the super hot re-entry of Orion into Earth's atmosphere following its first test flight. The uncrewed capsule is scheduled to launch no earlier than Dec. 4 at 7:05 a.m. ET atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37 in Florida. Orion will travel to an altitude of 3,600 miles — 15 times higher than the International Space Station — orbit Earth twice, then splash down in the Pacific Ocean four and a half hours later and be recovered.
"This is going to be a tough one. Orion will come through the atmosphere at 20,000 miles an hour as a tiny dot in the sky. With the capsule initially hundreds of miles away, it is like we are looking for it through a small soda straw," said Tom Horvath, SCIFLI principal investigator. "It's all about getting the aircraft positioned at the right location at a precise point in time. The action will be in the last minute. Temperatures will go from very low to up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit."
The team will use a U.S. Navy NP-3D aircraft, also called Orion, to capture the imagery. It is equipped with a long-range infrared optical system called "Cast Glance." The NP-3D Orion is one of five operated by the NAVAIR Weapons Division's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron-30 (VX-30), Pt. Mugu, California. The research effort is sponsored by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center.
After the team has confirmation of the launch, the aircraft will fly from its base in Pt. Mugu to the desired observation location over the Pacific Ocean, 200-300 miles from California's Baja Peninsula. Once the aircraft reaches a point about 25 miles away from the Orion's projected entry trajectory, it continues flying in a sort of race track pattern until the capsule enters the atmosphere and emits enough thermal energy for the plane's infrared cameras to catch a glimpse. Then the crew will scramble to take images as Orion descends at hypersonic speeds. The SCIFLI team will have personnel inside the Mission Control Center in Houston and at Pt. Mugu to support and coordinate aircraft operations.
"We want to determine how hot the Orion heat shield gets during re-entry, then compare that data against the thermocouple sensors that are embedded in the capsule's shield," said Horvath. "The infrared camera may also permit us to observe rapid increases in surface temperature. These temperature jumps, generated by surface roughness on the capsule heat shield, are difficult to predict.”
"These observations of exterior temperatures will help reduce uncertainty in our computer models," said Orion Systems Engineer Gavin Mendeck at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We think we are conservative, but this real-life data will help us understand just how conservative."
Another Navy NP-3D Cast Glance aircraft, sponsored by the Orion program, will also follow the water landing with cameras, but looking more at the descent — especially the parachutes. "We want to verify and document how the parachutes perform," said Mendeck. "The first chutes — the drogues — deploy at an altitude of 22,000 feet." The two drogue chutes are used to slow the capsule down and stabilize it. They get released, then three massive main parachutes deploy to slow Orion down to less than 20 miles an hour for a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Two Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters, out of the Helicopter Sea Combat squadron #8 (HSC-8) based out of the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, equipped with still, video and handheld infrared cameras will also be on hand to observe the last 10,000 feet of Orion's first journey. They are supporting the San Diego Naval Station-based Amphibious transport dock, USS Anchorage (LPD-23), which will recover the spacecraft.
And one more aircraft — the remotely piloted Ikhana/ MQ-9 Predator B, based at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, will fly its own race track pattern to the south of Orion's projected entry trajectory. It will provide live video of the splashdown for NASA TV.
Kathy Barnstorff
NASA Langley Research Center
NASA Langley Research Center
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Joe Atkinson
May 30, 2014
Orion Heat Shield Attached
The world’s largest heat shield, measuring 16.5 feet in diameter, has been successfully attached to the Orion spacecraft. The heat shield is made from a single seamless piece of Avcoat ablator. It will be tested on Orion’s first flight in December 2014 as it protects the spacecraft from temperatures reaching 4000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The uncrewed flight, dubbed Exploration Flight Test-1(EFT-1), will test the spacecraft for eventual missions that will send astronauts to an asteroid and eventually Mars. EFT-1 will launch an uncrewed Orion capsule 3,600 miles into space for a four-hour mission to test several of its most critical systems. After making two orbits, Orion will return to Earth at almost 20,000 miles per hour, before its parachutes slow it down for a landing in the Pacific Ocean.
Image Credit: NASA
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Jim Wilson
April 11, 2014
14-106
NASA's Orion Spacecraft Powers through First Integrated System Testing
NASA's Orion spacecraft has proven its mettle in a test designed to determine the spacecraft's readiness for its first flight test -- Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) -- later this year. EFT-1 will send the spacecraft more than 3,600 miles from Earth and return it safely.
The spacecraft ran for 26 uninterrupted hours during the final phase of a major test series completed April 8 at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The test verified the crew module can route power and send commands that enable the spacecraft to manage its computer system, software and data loads, propulsion valves, temperature sensors and other instrumentation.
"This has been the most significant integrated testing of the Orion spacecraft yet," said William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA's human exploration and operations at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "The work done to test the avionics with the crew module isn't just preparing us for Orion's first trip to space in a few months. It's also getting us ready to send crews far into the solar system."
In October 2013, NASA and Lockheed Martin engineers powered on Orion's main computer for the first time. Since then, they have installed harnessing, wiring and electronics. This was the first time engineers ran the crew module through its paces to verify all system actuators respond correctly to commands and all sensors report back as planned. More than 20 miles of wire are required to connect the different systems being powered.
"Getting all the wiring right, integrating every element of the avionics together, and then testing it continuously for this many hours is a big step toward getting to deep space destinations," said Mark Geyer, Orion program manager.
Engineers now are preparing the crew module for vibration testing, scheduled for the week of April 14. In May, the heat shield will be installed and, shortly thereafter, the crew module will be attached with the service module.
During EFT-1, an uncrewed Orion spacecraft will take a four-hour trip into space, traveling 15 times farther from Earth than the International Space Station. During its reentry into Earth's atmosphere, Orion will be traveling at 20,000 mph, faster than any current spacecraft capable of carrying humans, and endure temperatures of approximately 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The data gathered during the flight will inform design decisions to improve the spacecraft that will one day carry humans to an asteroid and eventually Mars. EFT-1 is targeted for launch in December.
For more information on Orion, visit:
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Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Karen Northon
March 28, 2014
Tests Take NASA’s Orion Program a Step Closer
A mockup of NASA’s Orion crew module recently underwent measurement and center-of-gravity tests at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., taking the Orion team one step closer to water-impact testing that will simulate ocean and landing conditions.
Engineers performed the tests to determine the angles at which the capsule must be released during upcoming water-impact tests at Langley’s Hydro Impact Basin. Water-impact tests will simulate scenarios for parachute landings, wind conditions, different velocities and wave heights the Orion spacecraft could experience when landing in the Pacific Ocean.
According to NASA SPLASH principle investigator Jim Corliss, upcoming water impacts tests provide the data needed to conduct a much more thorough and detailed assessment of the water landing models that was not possible with previous test capsules. Data retrieved will assist in understanding the loads that astronauts will experience when the actual Orion spacecraft lands in the ocean.
During water-impact testing planned for 2016, the mockup will use the heat shield from Orion’s first flight, Exploration Flight Test-1, later this year. The flight will send the spacecraft 3,600 miles above Earth before bringing it back through the atmosphere at a speed of approximately 20,000 mph and at temperatures reaching nearly 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, after which it will splash down in the Pacific Ocean.
Credit: NASA/David C. Bowman
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Bob Allen
Feb. 26, 2014
Orion Ground Test Article Arrives at NASA Langley
A mock-up of NASA’s Orion spacecraft recently took an east coast journey from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., in preparation for future testing at Langley’s Landing and Impact Research Facility.
Testing will give engineers insight into how the capsule performs under a variety of ocean and landing conditions.
This fall, the Orion spacecraft will fly on its first uncrewed mission, known as Exploration Flight Test-1, where it will travel 3,600 miles above Earth before reentering the atmosphere at a speed of approximately 20,000 mph (32,187 kph) and temperatures of close to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,204 degrees Celsius) for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Credit: NASA/David C. Bowman
More on the Orion Ground Test Article's arrival on NASA Langley.
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Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Bob Allen
Nov. 7, 2013
NASA's Orion Sees Flawless Fairing Separation in Second Test
The three massive panels protecting a test version of NASA's Orion multipurpose crew vehicle successfully fell away from the spacecraft Wednesday in a test of a system that will protect Orion during its first trip to space next year.
The panels, called fairings, encase Orion's service module and shield it from the heat, wind and acoustics it will experience during the spacecraft's climb into space. The service module, located directly below the crew capsule, will contain the in-space propulsion capability for orbital transfer, attitude control and high-altitude ascent aborts when Orion begins carrying humans in 2021. It also will generate and store power and provide thermal control, water and air for the astronauts. The service module will remain connected to the crew module until just before the capsule returns to Earth. During Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), the spacecraft's flight test next year, a test service module will be attached to the capsule.
"Hardware separation events like this are absolutely critical to the mission and some of the more complicated things we do," said Mark Geyer, Orion program manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "We want to know we've got the design exactly right and that it can be counted on in space before we ever launch."
Unlike conventional rocket fairings, these panels are designed to support half of the weight of Orion's crew module and launch abort system during launch and ascent, which improves performance, saves weight and maximizes the size and capability of the spacecraft. Each panel is 14 feet high and 13 feet wide.
The fairings' work is done soon after launch. They must be jettisoned when Orion has reached an altitude of about 560,000 feet. To make that possible, six breakable joints and six explosive separation bolts are used to connect the fairing panels to the rocket and each other. In a carefully timed sequence, the joints are fired apart, followed shortly by the bolts. Once all of the pyrotechnics have detonated, six spring assemblies will push the three panels away, leaving the service and crew module exposed to space as they travel onward.
This test, conducted by Orion's primary contractor, Lockheed Martin, at the company's Sunnyvale, Calif., facility, was the second test of the fairing separation system. The first occurred in June, when one of the three fairing panels did not completely detach. Engineers determined the issue was caused when the top edge of the fairing came into contact with the adapter ring and kept it from rotating away and releasing from the spacecraft. Because of the engineers' confidence in successfully eliminating the interference, they maintained plans to increase this week's test fidelity by emulating the thermal loads experienced by the fairings during ascent. They used strip heaters to heat one of the fairings to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and simulate the temperatures the panels will experience.
Exploration Flight Test-1 is scheduled for September 2014. During that flight, an uncrewed Orion will launch to an altitude of 3,600 miles, more than 15 times farther into space than the International Space Station. It will orbit Earth twice before re-entering the atmosphere as fast as 20,000 mph.
The data gathered during the flight will influence design decisions, authenticate existing computer models, and innovative new approaches to space systems development It also will reduce overall mission risks and costs for subsequent Orion missions to an asteroid and eventually Mars.
For information about Orion and EFT-1, visit:
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: Jason Roberts
April 11, 2013
M13-061
NASA Invites Media to View Orion, Speak With Kennedy Space Center Director
The event, marking three years since President Obama set a goal of sending humans to an asteroid, will begin at noon EDT with a photo and interview availability with Robert Cabana, Kennedy's center director.
Media should arrive at Kennedy's Press Site by 11:30 a.m. for transportation to the Operations and Checkout Building. . Other speakers include Dan Dumbacher, deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development, Mark Geyer, Orion Program manager, and Keith Hefner, Space Launch System Program planning and control manager.
Cabana, Geyer and Hefner will discuss progress made on final assembly and integration of Orion for its uncrewed Exploration Flight Test-1 in 2014. Before Orion's launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the production team will apply heat-shielding thermal protection systems, avionics and other hardware to the spacecraft.
During the test, Orion will travel 3,600 miles from Earth, farther than any crewed spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years. The main objective is to test Orion's heat shield at the high speeds generated during a return from deep space.
Media without NASA Kennedy accreditation must apply for credentials by 4 p.m. Friday, April 12. International media accreditation for this event is closed. Badges for this event may be picked up at the Kennedy's badging office on State Road 405. The credential application is located online at:
NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy-lift launch vehicle that will provide new capability for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, will boost Orion off the planet on a flight test in 2017. SLS is designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions. It will expand human presence and enable new missions of exploration into the solar system.
NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Orion Program. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the SLS Program. Kennedy manages the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, which is preparing to process and launch the new vehicles and spacecraft designed to achieve NASA's goals for space exploration.
For more information about the Orion program, visit:
For more information on the Space Launch System, visit:
For more information about the Ground Systems Development and Operations program, visit:
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Headquarters, Washington
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Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
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Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
Dec. 13, 2012
NASA Progressing Toward First Launch of Orion Spacecraft
Employees at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., unpack four large metal rings that will be used to create adapters for NASA's Orion spacecraft to integrate with the propulsion elements for flight.
Credits: NASA/MSFC
Recent engineering advances by NASA and its industry partners across the country show important progress toward Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), the next step to launching humans to deep space. The uncrewed EFT-1 mission, launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in 2014, will test the re-entry performance of the agency's Orion capsule, the most advanced spacecraft ever designed, which will carry astronauts farther into space than ever before.
"These recent milestones are laying the foundation for our first flight test of Orion in 2014," said Dan Dumbacher, deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The work being done to prepare for the flight test is really a nationwide effort and we have a dedicated team committed to our goal of expanding the frontier of space."
A tool that will allow the titanium skeleton of the Orion heat shield to be bolted to its carbon fiber skin is at the Denver facility of the spacecraft's prime contractor Lockheed Martin. This will enable workers to begin assembling the two pieces of the heat shield. Almost 3,000 bolts are needed to hold the skeleton to the skin. A special stand was built to align the skin on the skeleton as holes for the bolts are drilled. Work to bolt the skeleton to the skin will be completed in January. The heat shield then will be shipped to Textron Defense Systems near Boston where the final layer, an ablative material very similar to that used on the Apollo spacecraft, will be added. The completed heat shield is scheduled to be ready for installation onto the Orion crew module at Kennedy next summer.
To test the heat shield during EFT-1's re-entry, Orion will travel more than 3,600 miles above Earth's surface, 15 times farther than the International Space Station's orbital position. This is farther than any spacecraft designed to carry humans has gone in more than 40 years. Orion will return home at a speed almost 5,000 mph faster than any current human spacecraft.
This week, engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., received materials to begin manufacturing the adapter that will connect the Orion capsule to a United Launch Alliance Delta IV heavy-lift rocket for EFT-1. Two forward and two aft rings will be welded to barrel panels to form two adapters. This adapter design will be tested during EFT-1 for use during the first launch of NASA's next heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), in 2017. SLS will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads beyond low Earth orbit, providing an entirely new capability for human exploration.
Data from the adapter on the flight test will provide Marshall engineers with invaluable experience developing hardware early in the design process. Designing the adapter once for multiple flights also provides a cost savings.
Of the two adapters welded at Marshall, one will attach Orion to the Delta IV heavy-lift rocket used for EFT-1. The other adapter will be a structural test article to gain knowledge on the design.
NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program also has passed a major agency review that lays the groundwork at Kennedy to support future Orion and SLS launches. The GSDO Program completed a combined system requirements review and system definition review, in which an independent board of technical experts from across NASA evaluated the program's infrastructure specifications, budget and schedule. The board confirmed GSDO is ready to move from concept development to preliminary design. The combination of the two assessments represents a fundamentally different way of conducting NASA program reviews. The team is streamlining processes to provide the nation with a safe, affordable and sustainable launch facility.
The GSDO program last week also led the third Stationary Recovery Test Working Group session in Norfolk, Va. The team presented to the U.S. Navy detachment that will recover the capsule during EFT-1 a complete list of tasks required to accomplish stationary recovery test objectives. The working group outlined the plan for roles and responsibilities to accomplish required test procedures. Included in these presentations were the commanding officer of the USS Mesa Verde and the fleet forces command director of operations, who both expressed complete support for the test.
"These recent milestones are laying the foundation for our first flight test of Orion in 2014," said Dan Dumbacher, deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The work being done to prepare for the flight test is really a nationwide effort and we have a dedicated team committed to our goal of expanding the frontier of space."
A tool that will allow the titanium skeleton of the Orion heat shield to be bolted to its carbon fiber skin is at the Denver facility of the spacecraft's prime contractor Lockheed Martin. This will enable workers to begin assembling the two pieces of the heat shield. Almost 3,000 bolts are needed to hold the skeleton to the skin. A special stand was built to align the skin on the skeleton as holes for the bolts are drilled. Work to bolt the skeleton to the skin will be completed in January. The heat shield then will be shipped to Textron Defense Systems near Boston where the final layer, an ablative material very similar to that used on the Apollo spacecraft, will be added. The completed heat shield is scheduled to be ready for installation onto the Orion crew module at Kennedy next summer.
To test the heat shield during EFT-1's re-entry, Orion will travel more than 3,600 miles above Earth's surface, 15 times farther than the International Space Station's orbital position. This is farther than any spacecraft designed to carry humans has gone in more than 40 years. Orion will return home at a speed almost 5,000 mph faster than any current human spacecraft.
This week, engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., received materials to begin manufacturing the adapter that will connect the Orion capsule to a United Launch Alliance Delta IV heavy-lift rocket for EFT-1. Two forward and two aft rings will be welded to barrel panels to form two adapters. This adapter design will be tested during EFT-1 for use during the first launch of NASA's next heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), in 2017. SLS will launch NASA's Orion spacecraft and other payloads beyond low Earth orbit, providing an entirely new capability for human exploration.
Data from the adapter on the flight test will provide Marshall engineers with invaluable experience developing hardware early in the design process. Designing the adapter once for multiple flights also provides a cost savings.
Of the two adapters welded at Marshall, one will attach Orion to the Delta IV heavy-lift rocket used for EFT-1. The other adapter will be a structural test article to gain knowledge on the design.
NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program also has passed a major agency review that lays the groundwork at Kennedy to support future Orion and SLS launches. The GSDO Program completed a combined system requirements review and system definition review, in which an independent board of technical experts from across NASA evaluated the program's infrastructure specifications, budget and schedule. The board confirmed GSDO is ready to move from concept development to preliminary design. The combination of the two assessments represents a fundamentally different way of conducting NASA program reviews. The team is streamlining processes to provide the nation with a safe, affordable and sustainable launch facility.
The GSDO program last week also led the third Stationary Recovery Test Working Group session in Norfolk, Va. The team presented to the U.S. Navy detachment that will recover the capsule during EFT-1 a complete list of tasks required to accomplish stationary recovery test objectives. The working group outlined the plan for roles and responsibilities to accomplish required test procedures. Included in these presentations were the commanding officer of the USS Mesa Verde and the fleet forces command director of operations, who both expressed complete support for the test.
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
June 26, 2012
Readying Orion for Flight
The NASA team at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans has completed the final weld on the first space-bound Orion capsule. The Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) Orion will be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center for final assembly and checkout operations.
The EFT-1 flight will take Orion to an altitude of more than 3,600 miles, more than 15 times farther away from Earth than the International Space Station. Orion will return home at a speed of 25,000 miles per hour, almost 5,000 miles per hour faster than any human spacecraft. It will mimic the return conditions that astronauts experience as they come home from voyages beyond low Earth orbit. As Orion reenters the atmosphere, it will endure temperatures up to 4,000 degrees F., higher than any human spacecraft since astronauts returned from the moon.
Image Credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon
The EFT-1 flight will take Orion to an altitude of more than 3,600 miles, more than 15 times farther away from Earth than the International Space Station. Orion will return home at a speed of 25,000 miles per hour, almost 5,000 miles per hour faster than any human spacecraft. It will mimic the return conditions that astronauts experience as they come home from voyages beyond low Earth orbit. As Orion reenters the atmosphere, it will endure temperatures up to 4,000 degrees F., higher than any human spacecraft since astronauts returned from the moon.
Image Credit: NASA/Eric Bordelon
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
June 6, 2012
Retired Apollo Engineer Sees Orion Future
The last time James Murphy set foot inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the high bay gleamed from polished white floors and walls and teemed with spacecraft destined for the moon being processed for flight.
After 40 years, that description still fits as Murphy and his family were given a VIP tour through the facility that now serves as Lockheed Martin's factory floor for the Orion spacecraft being prepped for a new generation of deep space journeys.
"White is bright," Murphy said while looking over the fixture holding the ground test article of the Orion spacecraft. "It looks very familiar, but of course there aren't any of the other spacecraft in here these days, which is what I remember. The command module looks very similar. We had the lunar module and Saturn lunar module adapter."
Between serving as an assembly area for capsules and service modules, the high bay was used as the preparation area for space shuttle modules, including the SpaceLabs that astronauts worked in while in orbit.
Lockheed Martin renovated the vast assembly hall in 2009 so it could be used to build the Orion spacecraft. Workers pulled out antiquated cables, electrical gear and pipes and recoated the walls and floor to make a suitable area to build a spacecraft to take astronauts to deep space locales.
Two altitude chambers are still in place, though only one is working. The massive cylindrical chambers were constructed large enough to hold Apollo spacecraft to test for leaks. They were also used for leak checks of International Space Station modules such as the Destiny laboratory.
"These guys laid all the ground work for us," said Jules Schneider, Lockheed Martin's senior manager for Orion Assembly, Integration and Production. "They didn't have a guidebook. They thought they were doing the right thing, but they had no way of knowing if they were doing the right thing."
Murphy worked for AC Delco on the navigation systems used in the Apollo spacecraft. He worked on Apollos 8 through 14 in different capacities during his two years at Kennedy.
"It seems like a long time but some of these things are like they happened yesterday," Murphy said. "I felt very fortunate to be here to begin with. Not thinking I would ever get there, but hoping I would."
After 40 years, that description still fits as Murphy and his family were given a VIP tour through the facility that now serves as Lockheed Martin's factory floor for the Orion spacecraft being prepped for a new generation of deep space journeys.
"White is bright," Murphy said while looking over the fixture holding the ground test article of the Orion spacecraft. "It looks very familiar, but of course there aren't any of the other spacecraft in here these days, which is what I remember. The command module looks very similar. We had the lunar module and Saturn lunar module adapter."
Between serving as an assembly area for capsules and service modules, the high bay was used as the preparation area for space shuttle modules, including the SpaceLabs that astronauts worked in while in orbit.
Lockheed Martin renovated the vast assembly hall in 2009 so it could be used to build the Orion spacecraft. Workers pulled out antiquated cables, electrical gear and pipes and recoated the walls and floor to make a suitable area to build a spacecraft to take astronauts to deep space locales.
Two altitude chambers are still in place, though only one is working. The massive cylindrical chambers were constructed large enough to hold Apollo spacecraft to test for leaks. They were also used for leak checks of International Space Station modules such as the Destiny laboratory.
"These guys laid all the ground work for us," said Jules Schneider, Lockheed Martin's senior manager for Orion Assembly, Integration and Production. "They didn't have a guidebook. They thought they were doing the right thing, but they had no way of knowing if they were doing the right thing."
Murphy worked for AC Delco on the navigation systems used in the Apollo spacecraft. He worked on Apollos 8 through 14 in different capacities during his two years at Kennedy.
"It seems like a long time but some of these things are like they happened yesterday," Murphy said. "I felt very fortunate to be here to begin with. Not thinking I would ever get there, but hoping I would."
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
April 17, 2012
Orion Drop Test
A test model of the Orion spacecraft with its parachutes was tested the skies high above the U.S. Army's Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz. on Feb. 29, 2012. This particular drop test examined the wake - or the disturbance of the air flow behind Orion - that is caused by the spacecraft.
The Orion spacecraft will replace the space shuttle as NASA's vehicle for human space exploration and is designed to accommodate four to six astronauts on deep space missions. It also could supplement commercial and international partner transportation services to the International Space Station.
The Space Launch System, or SLS, is the heavy lift rocket that will carry the Orion spacecraft into space providing an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
Image Credit: NASA
The Orion spacecraft will replace the space shuttle as NASA's vehicle for human space exploration and is designed to accommodate four to six astronauts on deep space missions. It also could supplement commercial and international partner transportation services to the International Space Station.
The Space Launch System, or SLS, is the heavy lift rocket that will carry the Orion spacecraft into space providing an entirely new capability for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
Image Credit: NASA
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
Jan. 26, 2012
C12-002
NASA Awards Safety And Mission Assurance Contract Extension
Exercise of the options provides continuity of support services in safety, reliability and quality assurance, engineering products and technical services for Johnson's Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate for the International Space Station Program, Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, and Extravehicular Activity Office. The options also include all new Johnson programs and projects.
The options begin May 1 and end April 30, 2013. They will bring the total contract value to $365.1 million. The original contract, awarded in 2006, was for three years, with two one-year options ending April 30, 2011. In April 2011, the contract was extended to add an additional base year and two six-month options ending April 2013.
Work under the contract will be performed at Johnson; NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida; White Sands Test Facility near Las Cruces, N.M.; and SAIC's facilities in Houston.
For information about NASA and agency program,visit:
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Joshua Buck
Headquarters,Washington
202-358-1100
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Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kyle.j.herring@nasa.gov
Headquarters,Washington
202-358-1100
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Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
kyle.j.herring@nasa.gov
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
Jan. 4, 2012
NASA - Media Invited To Final Orion Spacecraft Water Landing Test
The test will simulate deployment of all parachutes at a high impact pitch of 43 degrees. The capsule will travel approximately 47 mph before splashing into the basin, where it will likely flip over after impact. While this type of landing scenario is not likely to occur during actual vehicle operation, the test will validate models of how the spacecraft would respond. Like the Apollo spacecraft, Orion will have an on-board system that allows the spacecraft to up-right itself in the ocean.
The Hydro Impact Basin is 115 feet long, 90 feet wide and 20 feet deep. It is located at the west end of Langley's historic Landing and Impact Research Facility, or Gantry, where Apollo astronauts trained for moonwalks.
Media representatives must arrive by 1 p.m. EST at the NASA Langley main gate. Due to the nature of the testing, an exact drop time cannot be given. If the drop test date changes due to weather or technical reasons, NASA will issue a media advisory.
To ensure access and badging, reporters must contact Amy Johnson by phone at 757-272-9859 or by email at amy.johnson@nasa.gov by 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5.
For video and still imagery that documents ground breaking of the Hydro Impact Basin through various stages of Orion testing, visit:
For more information about Orion, visit:
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Michael Braukus/J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979/5241
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Amy Johnson
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-7022/272-9859 (mobile)
amy.johnson@nasa.gov
Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979/5241
michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov/j.d.harrington@nasa.gov
Amy Johnson
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-7022/272-9859 (mobile)
amy.johnson@nasa.gov
Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
Sep. 22, 2011
11-322
NASA Completes Orion Spacecraft Parachute Testing In Arizona
HOUSTON - NASA this week completed the first in a series of flight-like parachute tests for the agency's Orion spacecraft. The drop tests at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona support the design and development of the Orion parachute assembly.
Flying at an altitude of 25,000 feet, a drop-test article that mimicked the Orion parachute compartment was deployed from a C-130 aircraft. Once airborne, two drogue chutes were deployed at an altitude of 19,000 feet, followed by three pilot parachutes, which then deployed three main landing parachutes. The drop test article speed as it impacted the desert was approximately 25 feet per second.
The tests were the closest simulation so far to what the actual Orion parachute landing phase will be during a return from space.
Since 2007, the Orion program has tested the spacecraft's parachutes and performed 20 drop tests. The program provided the chutes for NASA's pad abort test in 2010 and performed numerous ground-based tests. Results from the previous experiences were incorporated into the parachute design used in this test.
To learn more about the development of Orion, visit:
Flying at an altitude of 25,000 feet, a drop-test article that mimicked the Orion parachute compartment was deployed from a C-130 aircraft. Once airborne, two drogue chutes were deployed at an altitude of 19,000 feet, followed by three pilot parachutes, which then deployed three main landing parachutes. The drop test article speed as it impacted the desert was approximately 25 feet per second.
The tests were the closest simulation so far to what the actual Orion parachute landing phase will be during a return from space.
Since 2007, the Orion program has tested the spacecraft's parachutes and performed 20 drop tests. The program provided the chutes for NASA's pad abort test in 2010 and performed numerous ground-based tests. Results from the previous experiences were incorporated into the parachute design used in this test.
To learn more about the development of Orion, visit:
- end -
Michael Braukus/J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979/5241
michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov/j.d.harrington@nasa.gov
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979/5241
michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov/j.d.harrington@nasa.gov
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
April 27, 2009
Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle Testing
A mock-up of the Orion crew exploration vehicle floats in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. NASA engineers are testing this 18,000-pound mock-up to learn what the crews will experience after Orion lands and the recovery teams begin their work.
Image Credit: NASA
Image Credit: NASA
Last Updated: May 1, 2015
Editor: NASA Administrator
Tags: Journey to Mars, Orion Spacecraft
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA Official: Brian Dunbar
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