NASA's Orion edges closer to space (photos)
With plans the space agency announced Tuesday for an unmanned flight test in 2014, it showed that it is determined to move forward with its deep space exploration goals.
Preparing for a splash
Lift off
At White Sands
MPCV Stack
Abort motor ship preparation
Abort motor
Dropping from the plane
Main Parachute test
Successful drop test
"The primary test objectives were, [first] to measure the performance of a two drogue parachute cluster with one drogue skipping the second of two reefing stages," NASA said on its Web site, and second, "to measure the performance of a two main parachute cluster with modified suspension line and riser lengths matching the Apollo configuration ratio. The test platform consisted of a pallet and weight tub and was extracted from a C-130 aircraft at 17,500 feet."
At Dryden
Applying the decal
Building the module in New Orleans
Drogue chute testing 2
First test of BTA
"The Orion MPCV is based on the Orion design requirements for traveling beyond low Earth orbit," NASA wrote on its Web site. "Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities."
During this test, the 22,700-pound BTA was traveling at about 24 miles per hour on impact with the water at the Hydro Impact Basin. The idea behind this test is to further "the knowledge and testing of space vehicle landing systems like the MPCV."