{"id":12729,"date":"2024-12-17T12:03:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T16:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/orion-spacecraft-tested-in-ohio-after-artemis-i-mission\/"},"modified":"2024-12-17T12:03:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T16:03:27","slug":"orion-spacecraft-tested-in-ohio-after-artemis-i-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/orion-spacecraft-tested-in-ohio-after-artemis-i-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"Orion Spacecraft Tested in Ohio After Artemis I Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orion Spacecraft Tested in Ohio After Artemis I Mission<\/h2>\n

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5 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Orion Environmental Test Article photographed inside the Thermal Vacuum Chamber on April 11, 2024, in the Space Environments Complex at NASA\u2019s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. <\/div>\n
Credit: NASA\/Quentin Schwinn\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Making the voyage 1.4 million miles around the Moon and back \u2014 the farthest a spacecraft built for humans has ever gone \u2014 the Orion spacecraft has faced a battery of tests over the years. Though Orion successfully proved its capabilities in the harsh environment of space during the Artemis I<\/a> mission, Orion\u2019s evaluation did not end at splashdown.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The crew module, now known as the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA), returned to NASA\u2019s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, in January 2024 and completed an 11-month test campaign necessary for the safety and success of Artemis II<\/a>, the first crewed mission under NASA\u2019s Artemis campaign.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Engineers and technicians from NASA and Lockheed Martin subjected the test article to the extreme conditions Orion may experience in a launch abort scenario. In the event of an emergency, Orion \u2014 and astronauts inside \u2014 will jettison away from the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for a safe landing in the ocean.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Experts at NASA\u2019s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, conducted a lightning test, which simulates the electromagnetic effects of a lightning strike to the vehicle on the launch pad awaiting liftoff. The Feb. 20, 2024 test proved the grounding path of the vehicle is operating as designed and protecting the vehicle from damage to any of its equipment or systems. <\/div>\n
Credit: NASA\/Quentin Schwinn<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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Experts installed NASA\u2019s Launch Abort System, designed to carry the crew to safety in the event of an emergency during launch or ascent. The Orion test article was subjected to acoustic levels simulating both a nominal ascent and a launch abort scenario. The acoustic test chamber at NASA\u2019s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, blasted the test article at a volume of almost 164 decibels on Sept. 9, 2024. <\/div>\n
Credit: NASA\/Jordan Salkin<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n
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On Nov. 11, 2024, experts successfully at NASA\u2019s Neil Armstrong Test Facility completed the docking mechanism jettison test, designed to connect and disconnect the Orion spacecraft to Gateway, a small space station that will orbit the Moon. They also completed the forward bay cover jettison test on Nov. 23, 2024, which is the last piece that must eject right before parachutes deploy, and successfully tested Orion\u2019s uprighting system. <\/div>\n
Credit: NASA\/Jordan Salkin<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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