ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2011) — Testing continues at NASA Langley Research Center as the 18,000-pound (8,164.6 kg) Orion test article took its seventh splash into the Hydro Impact Basin Dec. 1.

Orion, NASA's next deep space exploration vehicle, will carry astronauts into space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel, and ensure safe re-entry and landing.

The testing, which began in this summer, simulates different water landing scenarios and takes into account different velocities, parachute deployments, entry angles, wave heights and wind conditions that Orion may face when landing in the Pacific Ocean.

"We are doing several of these tests to look at the operational envelope for the Orion landing conditions and the analysts need as much data as we can possibly give them," said Lynn Bowman, SPLASH project manager. "In order to do it in as few cases possible, we have to look at these critical cases, which is not your average landing scenario or sea condition."

The Dec. 1 test was all about the heat shield and how much it would flex after hitting the water at a slightly different angle. Sea conditions simulated a low-wind swell case.

The test article was only two feet above the water before it dropped pancake-style into the water. It traveled about 7 mph (11.26 kph).

There are more than 150 sensors on the test article that record data during each test drop. The results of these initial tests will help improve the design for the actual flight vehicle.

The last drop of the year is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Recommend this story on Facebook, Twitter,
and Google +1:

Other bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

enlarge

The seventh Orion test article drop test at the Hydro Impact Basin, December 1, 2011. (Credit: NASA/Sean Smith)

Related Stories

NASA Tests Future Deep Space Vehicle for Water Landings (July 27, 2011) — As NASA closes the chapter on the Space Shuttle Program, a new era of exploration vehicles is beginning to take off. Testing began this month at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., in the ...  > read more

NASA Conducts Orion Parachute Testing for Orbital Test Flight (Dec. 28, 2011) — NASA successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's parachutes high above the Arizona desert Tuesday, Dec. 20, in preparation for its orbital flight test in 2014. Orion will carry ...  > read more

Acoustic Tests Verify Orion’s Sound Engineering (Sep. 12, 2011) — Engineers have successfully completed the first of a series of acoustic tests on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) ground test vehicle, which consists of two major components of the Orion ...  > read more

NASA, ATK Successfully Test First Orion Launch Abort Motor (Nov. 24, 2008) — Flames shot more than 100 feet high in a successful 5.5-second ground test firing Thursday, Nov. 20, of a launch abort motor for NASA's next generation spacecraft, the Orion crew exploration vehicle. ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily