NASA’s New Orion Spacecraft Completes First Spaceflight Test
6 replies, posted
[url]http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/december/nasa-s-new-orion-spacecraft-completes-first-spaceflight-test/#.VIITVjHF98F[/url]
[QUOTE]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[/QUOTE]
Launch Video:
[video=youtube;s0UWllveVrY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0UWllveVrY[/video]
First 10 minutes of flight:
[video=youtube;UEuOpxOrA_0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEuOpxOrA_0[/video]
[editline]Edit[/editline]
FP was doing that thing where an edit made the whole post disappear. Fixed the OP up. I think.
What an awesome sight.
Splashdown.
[video=youtube;tdmZAvwznOU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdmZAvwznOU[/video]
From the recovery ship.
[video=youtube;LoItSvCBN0U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoItSvCBN0U[/video]
Closeup.
[video=youtube;TDYK_qW6qHE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDYK_qW6qHE[/video]
Even NASA knows that 60fps is better.
Some of the best footage of launch and landing came from this flight. Beautiful stuff. Congrats on a flawless flight, NASA!
Now I'll be interested to see what kind of data they can pull out of it
Too bad orion wasn't really ready for space though, it lacked any life support and displays and controls, as well as a working service module, it was just to test the heat shieldshield and electronics
[QUOTE=Sableye;46647883]Too bad orion wasn't really ready for space though, it lacked any life support and displays and controls, as well as a working service module, it was just to test the heat shieldshield and electronics[/QUOTE]
The reason NASA is isn't launching Orion again until 2017? They can't afford too. The most likely reason they won't make it to mars on time isn't because they can't but because they don't have the money too. It is really rather tragic if you ask me.
So why waste money adding things that don't need to be tested? The heatshield and electronics are just as essential to the survival of the crew, if not the most essential besides life support.
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