Updates Orion (MPCV) Updates and Discussion

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NASASpaceflight: Orion hoping for success with second generation parachute system

 

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Aviation Week: France, Italy Shun Orion Development:

PARIS — Two of Europe’s biggest International Space Station contributors have rejected a NASA proposal that would see the European Space Agency (ESA) pay its share of ISS operating costs by building a propulsion module for NASA’s Orion crew transport capsule, saying the proposal is technologically lackluster and unlikely to generate public enthusiasm.

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[Capt_hensley]

These guys need to get a clue, "Lackluster" is not in the Cool Space Projects dictionary!

 

[Cras]

Well, if anyone knows Lackluster, it has got to be the European Union.

 

[ADSWNJ]

Totally predictable tit-tat for trampling on the European Mars plans, I reckon

 

[Codz]

It isn't exactly NASA's choice to pull out...

 

[T.Neo]

It's a good thing, Orion has a service module and it is far better for the job than any hypothetical zombie-SM constructed from an ATV.

 

[FADEC]

Well, if anyone knows Lackluster, it has got to be the European Union.

:thumbup:

 

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NASASpaceflight: Orion PTV preparing for drop test on Wednesday – EFT-1 Orion progress:

The Orion Parachute Test Vehicle (PTV) is on track for its drop test on February 29 at the US Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona. The vehicle has completed processing prior to boarding the C-17 aircraft for the test of the parachute system. {...} Ground Test Article (GTA) is undergoing vibration testing in Denver.

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NASA:
NASA Conducts New Parachute Test for Orion

Mar. 1, 2012

On Feb. 29, NASA successfully conducted another drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's entry, descent and landing parachutes high above the Arizona desert in preparation for the vehicle's orbital flight test in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry and landing.

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{colsp=3} A test model of the Orion spacecraft with its parachutes was tested high above the skies over Arizona on Feb. 29. This particular drop test examined the wake – or the disturbance of the air flow behind Orion – that is caused by the spacecraft. This was the latest in a series of parachute drop tests conducted by NASA at the U.S. Army’s Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz.

Credit: NASA​

An Air Force C-17 plane dropped a test version of Orion from an altitude of 25,000 feet above the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona. Orion's drogue chutes were deployed between 15,000 and 20,000 feet, followed by the pilot parachutes, which deployed the main landing parachutes. Orion landed on the desert floor at a speed of almost 17 mph, well below the maximum designed touchdown speed of the spacecraft.

The test examined how Orion's wake, the disturbance of the air flow behind the vehicle, would affect the performance of the parachute system. Parachutes perform optimally in smooth air that allows proper lift. A wake of choppy air can reduce parachute inflation. The test was the first to create a wake mimicking the full-size Orion vehicle and complete system.

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Parabolic Arc: NASA Conducts Successful Orion Drop Test

 

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NASASpaceflight: Orion’s development achieving numerous successes and firsts:

This year is already marking a significant ramp up in achievements for the Orion Program, as several test articles are put through their paces – ranging from testing at Lockheed Martin’s Denver facility, to the successful parachute test in Arizona – all at the same time as the Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1) Orion sees the opening salvo of backshell tiles rolling off the production line.

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Universe Today: Video: Drop Test for Orion Crew Capsule’s New Parachutes

 

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NASASpaceflight: Orion parachutes preparing for another milestone drop test on April 17:

Following on from their successful drop test of the Orion Parachute Test Vehicle (PTV) in February, another test will be conducted on April 17 at the US Army’s Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona. For this new test, involving a vehicle called PCDTV3, the drogue chutes will be subjected to the the highest dynamic pressure environment to date.

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NASA Press Release:
RELEASE : 12-119
NASA Continues Orion Parachute Testing for Future Test Flight

April 17, 2012

HOUSTON -- NASA today successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's entry, descent and landing parachutes high above the Arizona desert in preparation for the vehicle's orbital flight test, Exploration Flight Test -1, in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry and landing.

A C-130 plane dropped a dart-shaped test vehicle with a simulated Orion parachute compartment from an altitude of 25,000 feet above the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Grounds. Orion's drogue chutes were deployed at 20,000 feet, followed by the pilot parachutes, which then deployed the main landing parachutes. The test vehicle landed on the desert floor at a speed of almost 25 feet per second, well below the maximum designed touchdown speed of the spacecraft.

This particular drop test had two primary objectives. The first determined how the entire system would respond if one of the three main parachutes inflated too quickly, which occurs if a reefing stage, which helps the parachutes open gradually, is skipped. The second objective was to validate the drogue parachute design by testing at a high dynamic pressure that closely mimicked the environments expected for Exploration Flight Test-1. This test flight, scheduled for 2014, is designed to test a number of Orion's systems, including the avionics, navigation and thermal protection systems and will send Orion more than 3,000 miles into space.

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NASA: NASA Continues Orion Parachute Testing for Future Test Flight

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, France and Italy have a point: Orion is pretty expensive for doing nothing special at all, mostly because the development attitude is pretty bureaucratic and uninspired. NASA seems to be more about job safety, than about new solutions for new problems.

And letting ESA pay part of the show is sure not nice then, ESA would likely rather support SpaceX, while stuffing EADS with money to come up with a European Dragon capsule (Likely more expensive than Orion x 3, but we never had a manned spacecraft to be compared with).

ESA could sure do better... if decisionmakers would aim for the maximum compromise and shared risks, instead of a minimum compromise and almost zero risks. But that would require a new mindset in ESA, which would maybe be the better project to do together with NASA: Learn to be motivated, creative and inspired (again). And aim a bit higher.

Or at least operate a bit more sustainable - I can't understand why every new program at NASA results in all engineering research starting again, instead of building on past solutions.

 

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NASA:
NASA Conducts Tests on Orion Service Module

Engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center are testing parts of the Orion service module to ensure the spacecraft can withstand the harsh realities of deep space missions.

To date, Marshall has completed two structural loads tests, and another is under way. Structural loads tests prove the structural performance or material behavior of a design as weight is applied to it. Most of the time, the allowable weight is exceeded to test the material at extreme conditions to verify the tolerance of the material or design.

"Marshall was called upon to assist since we had the necessary test facilities and experienced team that could move out quickly to take on these very complex tests," said Scott Chartier, a test engineer in Marshall's Propulsion Systems Test Branch. "We were able to save time and budget since we had the facilities Orion needed and they didn’t have to build a duplicate test facility."

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Click on images to enlarge​

| Load-withstanding capabilities of the Orion service module's conical adapter joint are tested at Marshall's Material Environment Test Complex facility. The test was successfully completed in March.

(NASA/MSFC)​

| From left, Jeremy Kelly, Wes Lawler and Dani Davis, all Lockheed Martin Corp. test personnel, perform tests on the Orion manufacturing development article shear panel.

(NASA/MSFC)​

To date, development tests have been performed on key structural pieces of the Orion spacecraft called the shear panel and the conical adapter. Both of these pieces can be thought of as the skeleton of the Orion vehicle. These tests validated the design and manufacturing processes that will be used for Orion's service module and verified the load-bearing capabilities of the components.

"The shear panel and conical adapter joint achieved all load conditions, and no permanent or visual damage was observed after the tests," said Chartier. "In addition, the conical adapter was successfully taken to the maximum capability, which concluded the test series."

The next set of tests will provide data that will be used for acceptance of the design and incorporated into the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1). The results from these tests will be used to assess the materials and workmanship of the Orion service module's shear panels. The acceptance test is laying the groundwork for EFT-1, planned for 2014 that will launch an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a Delta IV Heavy to an altitude of 3,600 statute miles above Earth -- a distance that has not been achieved by a craft intended for human flight since the Apollo missions. This test will ensure that several of Orion’s systems, including the heat shield, can withstand a return to Earth from a deep space mission.

"We are excited to have the opportunity to do these structural tests at Marshall to help with NASA's Orion program," Chartier said. "It will help us get Orion to that first test flight."

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Parabolic Arc: NASA Marshall Engineers Continue Orion Development

 

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Florida Today: NASA aims to use Delta IV stage for early Orion missions:

CAPE CANAVERAL – NASA intends to employ a modified Delta IV second stage to launch an Orion spacecraft on an unmanned test flight in 2017 and then astronauts on a mission to orbit the moon four years later.

In a procurement notice issued earlier this month, NASA said the Boeing-designed Delta IV second stage is “the only means available to support the immediate in-space propulsion needs” for the missions, which will be launched on early versions of the heavy-lift Space Launch System.

The notice also said the Delta stage is the only one that requires “relatively minor modifications” to launch astronauts in the timeframe required for the 2021 flight.

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[Codz]

Great!

 

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NASA:
Orion Clean Room Subs Filters, Fans for Ceiling

May 24, 2012

Turns out a clean room doesn't necessarily need a roof, NASA is finding out as it tries out a design that could be assembled around the Orion spacecraft as it is prepared for launch in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The key to the concept, developed by Astrotech, is two 10-foot-high walls of filter-equipped fans positioned 30 feet apart to push and pull the air in one direction across the capsule, keeping particles from settling on the spacecraft's surface.

A set of clear walls completes the box, but there is no ceiling. That's important because engineers want to use the large cranes already in the VAB to lift the Orion spacecraft and its shell into place as it is assembled on top of the Space Launch System rocket. If they have to build a clean room with its own crane, the cost would be much higher.

"The guys over in the Operations and Checkout Building are using this and that's what gave us the idea," said Doug Lenhardt, an engineer with NASA's Ground Systems Development and Operations Program. "It's pretty innovative, so we'll see if it works."

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The test, which involves a room built around a full-scale Orion model, has been running for two weeks on the floor of High Bay 3 in the VAB and will continue another two to three weeks.

"The results have been encouraging," Lenhardt said. "We don't have the full story yet, but it's been encouraging.

The demands of a clean room in the VAB are not nearly as strict as those in the Operations and Checkout Building hangar where the Orion capsule will be built. In fact, the technicians in the O&C are already working with a similar setup to build the capsule components into a working spacecraft. Because even a slight contaminant can create problems inside a capsule, the O&C's entire high bay is kept to high cleanliness standards with the area around Orion given an extra layer of protection.

In the VAB, the requirement is to keep visible contaminants, such as specks of dirt and dust, off the outside of the capsule.

It may not sound like a big deal for something that will be exposed to space, but an earthly bit of pollen or sand or even a human hair can confuse a star tracker, lead to a build up around an exhaust port or block a thruster, for example.

And there are lots of particles looking for a place to settle in the VAB, especially when the doors are open and wind is swirling around.

"Conditions in the VAB are bad. It is much worse than being outside," said Walt Turner, senior integration engineer with Sierra Lobo. "It's like we have a dust creator."

The amount of particles in the VAB surprised John Weeks, an operations engineer overseeing the clean room evaluation.

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SPACE.com: Questions Wanted: NASA Astronaut to Discuss New Orion Spaceship:

If you're curious about what it takes to develop a new spaceship to take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit — to destinations such as an asteroid or Mars — you'll have a chance to find out this week.

NASA astronaut Rex Walheim will be conducting satellite interviews from the Johnson Space Center in Houston on Thursday (June 28) from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. EDT (1100 to 1230 GMT) live on NASA Television. The veteran astronaut will be standing in front of a full-scale model of the Orion spacecraft, and will discuss the new spaceship's design and testing process.

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