Onward with Orion testing

PERKINS TWP. — In the midst of summer, NASA engineers and technicians aren't on vacation.Instead they're tirelessly testing groundbreaking equipment destined for a trip to Mars.Work on Orion, the initiative aiming to carry astronauts into deep space and possibly land on Mars, continues at the NASA Plum Brook Station in Erie County.The latest experiments: sound-related analysis on part of Orion's launch abort system, called the ogive (pronounced oh-jive). A launch abort system is used to separate the capsule, containing the crew members, from the rest of the rocket, safely pulling astronauts away during an emergency event.An ogive "makes the airflow smoother over the spacecraft to limit sound and vibration," said Nicole Smith, the NASA project manager in charge of Orion's testing at Plum Brook. "This makes the ride smoother for the astronauts. The ogive has a new hatch, and we'll be testing to make sure it performs as expected. We are testing the new hatch locking design to ensure it withstands the vibro-acoustic environment."NASA workers continue to perform tests on Orion's launch abort system, which is called an ogive (the cone-curved shaped item pictured) at the NASA Plum Brook Station in Erie County. A launch abort system is used to separate the capsule, containing the crew members, from the rest of the rocket, safely pulling astronauts away during an emergency event. The Orion mission aims to carry astronauts into deep space and possibly land on Mars.Smith provided some additional context about the ogive:• The type of work: "We are performing an acoustic test on the Orion launch abort system ogive, which covers and protects the Orion crew module from the extreme environments of launch and ascent. This particular piece (the ogive) is just a test article. We're putting it through the paces to prove it all works."• The importance: "The launch abort system enables astronauts to return safely to Earth in the event that issues arise during launch and ascent. Being able to withstand the harsh abort environment is critical."• The timeline: "The planning for this test started a year ago. We received three of the ogive panels in June, and the panel with the new hatch in early July. We should finish testing by the end of the first week August and ship it back to Lockheed Martin in Denver, Colo., to integrate into another test article for a different type of testing."Only at Plum Brook, boasting one-of-a-kind experimental chambers, can engineers and technicians perform these types of tests on Orion.Data obtained through testing helps NASA personnel best determine and understand Orion's effectiveness before a scheduled launch, with crew aboard, to the moon in 2021 and Mars sometime afterward.About a year ago, NASA workers successfully deployed one of Orion's solar arrays at the NASA Plum Brook Station in Erie County. The testing served as an "important first step to verify Orion's power system for the spacecraft's flight … which will venture tens of thousands of miles beyond the moon," according to a NASA statement.What's happenedThroughout 2016, structural test pieces for Orion underwent two rounds of rigorous assessments at Plum Brook:• Round No. 1: Staff successfully extended a folded up solar array wing attached on Orion. The testing served as an "important first step to verify Orion's power system for the spacecraft's flight … which will venture tens of thousands of miles beyond the moon," according to a NASA statement.• Round No. 2: Then portions of Orion prospered during many other tests, including for sound, vibration, temperature and pyro shocks, ensuring the structure could separate when necessary.Earlier this year, the spacecraft landed at a different NASA station, Kennedy Space Center, located near Orlando, for additional processing.NASA officials previously performed vibration-related tests on Orion at the Plum Brook Station in Erie County. Orion is the mission aiming to carry astronauts into deep space and possibly Mars. Plum Brook's Mechanical Vibration Facility, characterized as the world's most powerful spacecraft shaker system, determined whether Orion could withstand the extreme conditions and objects often encountered in space.What's nextDifferent pieces of Orion, which haven't entered NASA Plum Brook's realm before, will travel to Erie County in the near future.For instance, sometime in 2018, Orion's entire flight article — which includes the capsule, service module and adapters — will arrive at Plum Brook to undergo thermal vacuum and electromagnetic interference testing. The flight article features a similar design of the actual vehicle destined for a deep-space expedition.Smith then explained what each test aims to accomplish."The thermal vacuum testing will simulate the spacecraft being in the vacuum of space and experiencing the alternating hot and cold that it will see in the sun and shade and will prove that the spacecraft can survive yet another harsh environment," Smith said. "The electromagnetic interference testing will test that the spacecraft's electrical equipment is not susceptible to radio frequencies of all different levels and strengths that it might see while on the launchpad, on ascent or in orbit."In 2016, noise-related experiments occurred inside the NASA Plum Brook Station's Reverberant Acoustic Test Facility. The tests proved Orion can withstand the loud shockwaves generated during ascent.Sorting out the stackFive main components constituting Orion, the spacecraft mission aiming to carry astronauts into deep space and possibly land on Mars, have been or will be tested at the NASA Plum Brook Station in Erie County.How parts of the Orion spacecraft, being tested at the NASA Plum Brook Station in Erie County, will appear once assembled. Here's a quick explanation of the main parts:• Crew module: The capsule-like area where crew members, or astronauts, will remain inside once Orion launches.• Crew module adapter (CM adapter): The area storing computers, power distribution units and other devices, such as life support systems, needed to support the crew's mission. It's also the link between the crew and service modules.• European service module: The vehicle's main engine where solar arrays, thermal radiators and propulsion tanks — all the necessary support systems — are located to power Orion.• Spacecraft adapter: It attaches the spacecraft to the rocket on which it flies.• Fairings: The external panels covering the service module and protecting it during the launch and ascent stages.There is also what's called a launch abort system, which is used to safely pull the crew away from the rocket in the event of a failure.Source: NASAIn 2016, shaking-related experiments on the test article for Orion occurred inside the NASA Plum Brook Station's Mechanical Vibration Facility. The tests proved Orion, the initiative aiming to carry astronauts into deep space and possibly land on Mars, can withstand the extreme conditions and objects found in space.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.