NASA's Orion powered on for the first time

NASA's Orion powered on for the first time

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MartG

20,619 posts

203 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
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In this pic of an unflown CM you can see the honeycomb pattern through the reflective mylar


CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Friday 22nd August 2014
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MartG said:
graphene said:
Eric Mc said:
Agreed.

I am sure they have valid reasons for going with tiles.
Last paragraph:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_thermal...
Ah - too brittle to withstand mechanical & thermal stresses in large panels


Edited by MartG on Friday 22 August 12:02
Haha, love the fact that they're stuck on with silicone sealant!

Eric Mc

121,770 posts

264 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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Launch of the first Orion is getting close -




MrCarPark

528 posts

140 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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Are those emergency escape rocket motors towards the top?

Eric Mc

121,770 posts

264 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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Yes - rather similar to what is used on the Soyuz and what was used on the Apollo and Mercury capsules.

After Challenger and Columbia, NASA vowed that it would never authorise a spaceship that did not have an emergency escape system.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

283 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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There are tests of the Apollo system if you google it. Think they are on some of my DVD as well (the mighty Saturn's)?

Eric Mc

121,770 posts

264 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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Here's footage of the Orion escape being tested four years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w5p4X6rdjE

CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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Pretty clever the way it spins around to set it up for the parachute opening. Not sure I fancy that ride though!

CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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Pretty clever the way it spins around to set it up for the parachute opening. Not sure I fancy that ride though!

Eric Mc

121,770 posts

264 months

Wednesday 12th November 2014
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The technology for these escape systems is pretty mature. After all, the original such system was part of the Mercury spacecraft, which dates from 1959.

ccr32

1,966 posts

217 months

Wednesday 19th November 2014
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Just discovered this thread - didn't realise this was so close now, exciting times ahead indeed!

Good luck to all those on the project - let's keep our fingers crossed it gets off the ground safely and on-time.

FunkyNige

8,859 posts

274 months

Wednesday 19th November 2014
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Meant to post this a few weeks back, but the NASA history office twitter feed posted this photo of the Apollo launch escape system being tested

http://pic.twitter.com/xZ5xhKGlQV

Eric Mc

121,770 posts

264 months

Wednesday 19th November 2014
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Up to date and decent overview of Orion here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlkjMnWNjic

MartG

20,619 posts

203 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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jmorgan

36,010 posts

283 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Couple of orbits as a well, and no crew.

thatdude

2,654 posts

126 months

Tuesday 25th November 2014
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MartG said:
Reading through this fills me with excitement. I really hope it goes well and I get to watch a crewed launch of the vehicle on a mission to who-knows-where.

Eric Mc

121,770 posts

264 months

Tuesday 25th November 2014
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Absolutely. Reports of the demise of NASA's maned programme have always been a bit on the premature side.

This craft really has the potential to open up the solar system to manned exploration. It is a great design and really the true heir to Apollo. I am just concerned that it doesn't suffer any more from changed priorities of the various administrations that will come to power in the US over its expected life.

The clincher for me as far as its versatility is concerned is the proposed habitation module which can be added to the launch stack for deep space missions. In fact, the module bears a striking resemblance to the USAF's cancelled Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) of the mid 1960s.

MartG

20,619 posts

203 months

Tuesday 25th November 2014
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Eric Mc said:
I am just concerned that it doesn't suffer any more from changed priorities of the various administrations that will come to power in the US over its expected life.
Exactly - Ares 1 got this far before the incoming Obama administration cancelled it frown

Eric Mc

121,770 posts

264 months

Tuesday 25th November 2014
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This was always at the back of James Webb's mind during the Apollo era. He was always concerned that a new president would cancel the programme. in fact, he was even concerned that Kennedy himself might get cold feet and close down the project. In many ways, Kennedy's assassination ensured that it is kept on by whoever succeeded him.

MartG

20,619 posts

203 months

Wednesday 26th November 2014
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