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The Orion Crew module, also known as the Orion Environmental Test article (ETA), became a fault test of his front bay cover in the NASA in the NEL Armstrong test facility by Neil Armstrong in Sandusky, Ohio. | Credit: NASA/Jordan Salkin
The NASA’s Orion Testicula was exposed to the introduction of acoustics at ABORT level before the ability of the forward bay covering was tested to change in the Neil Armstrong test facility in Sandusky, Ohio. The cover is the last component of the spacecraft, which has to exhaust in front of the parachutes to ensure a safe landing.
What is that?
Although the backdrop may look like something from a Mary Shelley novel or a Noir film, it is actually an important test for the NASA room capsule in a state-of-the-art interior of the next generation.
Engineers and technicians from NASA and LOCKHEED Martin have exposed the article from Orion Environmental test to the extreme conditions that Orion can experience in a starting skating scenario, including the foam of covering the forward bay, the last component that has to take out the parachutes for safe landing.
Where is it?
The test in November 2024 took place in the Space Environments Complex (SEC) in the Neil A. Armstrong test device (previously Plum Brook) in Sandusky, Ohio.
The SEC houses the world’s largest and most powerful space environmental simulation systems. The reverberating acoustic test facility (Ratf) seen here is the most powerful acoustic test chamber in the world in the world.
A complete recording of the Orion Environmental test articles of NASA, as can be seen in the Neil Armstrong Testicle in Ohio before the forward bay -Jettisone. | Credit: NASA/Jordan Salkin
Why is it incredible?
Before this Orion Capsule tests to support Artemis 2 mission -the first planned flight that has returned to the moon since the Apollo program -and before it became an environmental test article when Artemis 1 Mission Orion Orion Crew module was returned to the moon and back.
In addition, testing Orion was a main milestone for the Artemis program at such a high acoustic level.
“These tests are absolutely critical because we all have to complete these tests to say that the design of the spacecraft is safe and we are ready to fly a crew for the first time on Artemis 2,” said Michael See, ETA vehicle manager Orion Program. “This is the first time that we were able to test a spaceship in such an acoustic environment on the ground on an extreme demolition.”
Do you want to know more?
You can watch a video of the striker bay -Jettisone tests and learn more about the experiments in the Space Environments Complex. You can also read more about Artemis 2 mission.
