Author Topic: NASA Orion Splashdown Tests Ensure Safe Landings For Astronauts  (Read 16531 times)

Online jacqmans

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RELEASE: 12-340

NASA ORION SPLASHDOWN TESTS ENSURE SAFE LANDINGS FOR ASTRONAUTS

HAMPTON, Va. -- The 18,000-pound test article that mimics the size and
weight of NASA's Orion spacecraft crew module recently completed a
final series of water impact tests in the Hydro Impact Basin at the
agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.

The campaign of swing and vertical drops simulated various water
landing scenarios to account for different velocities, parachute
deployments, entry angles, wave heights and wind conditions the
spacecraft may encounter when landing in the Pacific Ocean. The next
round of water impact testing is scheduled to begin in late 2013
using a full-sized model that was built to validate the flight
vehicle's production processes and tools.

Orion will carry astronauts farther into space than ever before and be
the most advanced spacecraft ever designed. It will fly its first
flight test, designated Exploration Flight Test 1, in 2014. The
spacecraft will travel more than 3,600 miles into space -- 15 times
farther from Earth than the International Space Station -- and reach
speeds of more than 20,000 mph before returning to Earth. This
unmanned flight test will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station in Florida. Several Orion systems, including the heat shield
and parachutes at speeds generated during a return from deep space,
will be tested.

In 2017, Orion will be launched by NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), a
heavy-lift rocket that will provide an entirely new capability for
human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Designed to be flexible for
launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS will enable new
missions of exploration and expand human presence in the solar
system.

Langley's Hydro Impact Basin is 115 feet long, 90 feet wide and 20
feet deep, and is located at the historic Landing and Impact Research
Facility where Apollo astronauts trained for moonwalks.

For video and still imagery documenting the ground breaking of the
Hydro Impact Basin all the way through various stages of the Orion
testing, visit:

http://go.usa.gov/Yak5

For more information about Orion, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orion

For further information about the International Space Station, NASA's
commercial space programs and the future of American spaceflight,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration
Jacques :-)

Online jacqmans

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MEDIA ADVISORY M13-126


UPDATE: NASA Invites Media to View Orion Stationary Recovery Testing


(Updated to include media attendance new requirements)

NASA is offering media the opportunity to view key testing of splashdown recovery operations for the agency's Orion spacecraft on Thursday, Aug. 15, at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

NASA and the U.S. Navy are conducting tests to prepare for recovery of the Orion crew module and forward bay cover on its return from deep space missions. The stationary recovery test will allow the teams to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in a controlled environment before conducting a second recovery test next year in open waters.

A media briefing also will take place during a portion of the testing. The briefing participants include:

-- Scott Wilson, manager, Offline Processing and Infrastructure for Development, Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program
-- Jim Hamblin, landing and recovery element operations manager, GSDO Program
-- Navy Commander Brett Moyes, Future Plans Branch chief, U.S. Fleet Forces

International media who want to attend must respond by 4 p.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 9. U.S. media must respond by noon Wednesday, Aug. 14. To respond, contact Sasha Congiu by email at [email protected] or by phone at 757-272-9859.

Journalists should arrive by 12:30 p.m. at the Naval Station Norfolk Tour & Information Center for transportation to the testing area. Live trucks should arrive no later than 10:30 a.m. The information center is located at 9079 Hampton Blvd. in Norfolk. Close-toed shoes and pants are required.

Orion is America's new spacecraft that will take astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. It will have an emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space. The first spacecraft will launch on Exploration Flight Test-1 in September 2014, an uncrewed mission that will allow engineers to examine many of Orion's systems.

For more information about the Orion Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/orion

For more information about the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/groundsystems

Jacques :-)

Offline John44

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Online AnalogMan

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Test at Naval Station Proves Recovery Operations for Orion
Aug. 15, 2013

With the U.S. Navy's well deck ship USS Arlington stationed against its pier at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, divers in small boats approached a test version of NASA's Orion crew module.  As part of a deliberative process, the divers attached tow lines and led the capsule to a flooded well deck. With the capsule in position over the recovery cradle, the water drained until the capsule settled.

The stationary recovery test is helping to ensure that when Orion returns from deep space missions and splashes down in the Pacific Ocean, the methods used to recover the spacecraft and obtain critical heat shield data are sound.

“Today marks a significant milestone in the Navy’s partnership with NASA and the Orion Human Space Flight Program,” said Navy Commander Brett Moyes, Future Plans Branch chief, U.S. Fleet. “The Navy is excited to support NASA’s continuing mission of space exploration. Our unique capabilities make us an ideal partner for NASA in the recovery of astronauts in the 21st century — just as we did nearly a half century ago in support of America’s quest to put a man on the moon.”

The stationary recovery test was two years in the making.  NASA met in working groups with the Navy to leverage their well deck recovery expertise to develop recovery procedures for the Orion crew module. Together, NASA and the Department of Defense (DOD) carefully choreographed each step of the test.

“It was nice to see how the ballet of it all performed,” said Lou Garcia, NASA Recovery Director.

In the sheltered waters next to a pier, the controlled environment test revealed how precise the positioning of the capsule can be over the cradle used to move the crew module, how long the recovery operation takes and how the taglines, winch lines and tow lines work.

“This allows us to practice our procedures in a benign environment with no ship movement and minimum wave action,” said Jim Hamblin, landing and recovery element operations manager, Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program.

Navy divers prepared for the recovery test in Norfolk by training in the 6.2 million gallon pool at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston.

Scott Wilson, manager, Offline Processing and Infrastructure for Development,  GSDO Program, referred to testing strategy as a “crawl, walk, run.”

“With this test, we are taking the first steps in learning to walk,” Wilson said.   

The hardware used in the stationary test will be sent to the West Coast to prepare for a future test of Orion recovery operations in open water planned for January 2014. NASA and the DoD will use the recovery procedures employed in Norfolk to evaluate methods for next year's recovery operations test.

Lessons learned from the test in Norfolk and January's underway recovery test will be applied to the recovery of the Exploration Flight Test (EFT)-1 in September 2014.

EFT-1 will be Orion's first mission, which will send an uncrewed spacecraft 3,600 miles into Earth's orbit. As part of the test flight, Orion will return to Earth at a speed of approximately 20,000 mph for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The flight test will provide engineers with critical data about Orion's heat shield, flight systems and capabilities to validate designs of the spacecraft before it begins carrying humans to new destinations in the solar system, including an asteroid and Mars.

EFT-1 will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and splash down off the Baja Coast on the same day. For EFT-1, the recovery ship and team will be in the splashdown zone at the time of launch.

“The recovery of the EFT-1 unmanned Orion capsule will become another building block towards the recovery of Orion capsules with our nation's astronauts aboard,” Garcia said.

Photo Captions:

1st: During the stationary recovery test of Orion at Norfolk Naval Base, divers attached tow lines and led the test capsule to a flooded well deck (NASA/Dave Bowman)

2nd: With the Orion test capsule in position over the recovery cradle, the water drained until the capsule settled.

3rd: With the well deck drained, the Orion capsule is recovered aboard the USS Arlington and the stationary recovery test is complete. (NASA/Dave Bowman)

4th: It takes 45min for the ship to pump out the water. Here's what it looks like once it's dry

More images at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa_langley/sets/72157635089636252/[/i]

Offline catdlr

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additional video:

Test at Naval Station Proves Recovery Operations for Orion

Published on Aug 16, 2013
With the U.S. Navy's well deck ship USS Arlington stationed against its pier at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, divers in small boats approached a test version of NASA's Orion crew module. As part of a deliberative process, the divers attached tow lines and led the capsule to a flooded well deck. With the capsule in position over the recovery cradle, the water drained until the capsule settled.



« Last Edit: 08/16/2013 03:24 pm by catdlr »
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Online jacqmans

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Jacques :-)

Offline Jason1701

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Is there a simple reason why Orion needs such a larger ship and more elaborate recovery procedures than Dragon?

Offline Kabloona

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Is there a simple reason why Orion needs such a larger ship and more elaborate recovery procedures than Dragon?

Yes. Because the Navy has such a ship and needs a reason to use it.

Offline Lars_J

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Is there a simple reason why Orion needs such a larger ship and more elaborate recovery procedures than Dragon?

If a crewed Dragon landed on water it would likely have more and larger support ships than a cargo Dragon has - so the comparison is not completely fair.

Offline spectre9

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We haven't seen the recovery crew for a manned Dragon but I'm sure Jason has  ::)

Offline Jason1701

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Is there a simple reason why Orion needs such a larger ship and more elaborate recovery procedures than Dragon?

If a crewed Dragon landed on water it would likely have more and larger support ships than a cargo Dragon has - so the comparison is not completely fair.

The fleet would likely have an additional boat or boats for the astronauts to transfer to, but the act of recovering the capsule from the water - whether cargo Dragon, crew Dragon, or Orion - should require similar assets in each case.

Offline darkenfast

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Do we have any idea how much it will cost to use one of these Navy ships and its crew for each landing?
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Offline newpylong

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Is there a simple reason why Orion needs such a larger ship and more elaborate recovery procedures than Dragon?

If a crewed Dragon landed on water it would likely have more and larger support ships than a cargo Dragon has - so the comparison is not completely fair.

The fleet would likely have an additional boat or boats for the astronauts to transfer to, but the act of recovering the capsule from the water - whether cargo Dragon, crew Dragon, or Orion - should require similar assets in each case.

So you're going to lift an 8 ton half billion $ spacecraft with a crane on wheels from the deck of a barge and then place it there? I don't think so.

Different recovery procedures for different spacecraft.



Offline Jason1701

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Is there a simple reason why Orion needs such a larger ship and more elaborate recovery procedures than Dragon?

If a crewed Dragon landed on water it would likely have more and larger support ships than a cargo Dragon has - so the comparison is not completely fair.

The fleet would likely have an additional boat or boats for the astronauts to transfer to, but the act of recovering the capsule from the water - whether cargo Dragon, crew Dragon, or Orion - should require similar assets in each case.

So you're going to lift an 8 ton half billion $ spacecraft with a crane on wheels from the deck of a barge and then place it there? I don't think so.

Different recovery procedures for different spacecraft.




SpaceX's recovery procedures have slimmed down since C2 - now they use an A-frame on a work boat.

And the half billion $ is before it launches. When it comes back, it's just a museum piece, right?

Offline Lars_J

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So you're going to lift an 8 ton half billion $ spacecraft with a crane on wheels from the deck of a barge and then place it there? I don't think so.

Different recovery procedures for different spacecraft.

What in the world does the cost a a spacecraft to do with the cost of its recovery equipment? Do you need a billion $ crane to lift a half $ billion spacecraft? Is there some intrinsic connection between the those numbers that I am missing somehow?

Offline joek

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What in the world does the cost a a spacecraft to do with the cost of its recovery equipment? Do you need a billion $ crane to lift a half $ billion spacecraft? Is there some intrinsic connection between the those numbers that I am missing somehow?
Agree.  Forget the spacecraft; it is the contents of the spacecraft that matters, and which will drive recovery requirements and cost.
« Last Edit: 08/18/2013 11:14 pm by joek »

Online Comga

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Is there a simple reason why Orion needs such a larger ship and more elaborate recovery procedures than Dragon?
The stated reason to use this on ETF-1 is to preserve the heat shield so NASA can determine its wear on reentry. However all recovered Dragons have done this more than adequately. That is not a sufficient reason.

Also, a manned Dragon will only land in the water in off-nominal situations like an abort and even The US Navy can't have this size ship at every potential landing area. Sometimes you have to make do.

Quote
Scott Wilson, manager, Offline Processing and Infrastructure for Development,  GSDO Program, referred to testing strategy as a “crawl, walk, run.”

Crawl indeed
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Lars_J

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Is there a simple reason why Orion needs such a larger ship and more elaborate recovery procedures than Dragon?
The stated reason to use this on ETF-1 is to preserve the heat shield so NASA can determine its wear on reentry. However all recovered Dragons have done this more than adequately. That is not a sufficient reason.

Also, a manned Dragon will only land in the water in off-nominal situations like an abort and even The US Navy can't have this size ship at every potential landing area. Sometimes you have to make do.

It will be interesting to see what assets SpaceX and/or NASA use in the pad Dragon abort test that will land in the ocean(?) - now moved to early 2014. That might be an interesting comparison to Orion recovery.
« Last Edit: 08/19/2013 12:07 am by Lars_J »

Offline newpylong

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So you're going to lift an 8 ton half billion $ spacecraft with a crane on wheels from the deck of a barge and then place it there? I don't think so.

Different recovery procedures for different spacecraft.

What in the world does the cost a a spacecraft to do with the cost of its recovery equipment? Do you need a billion $ crane to lift a half $ billion spacecraft? Is there some intrinsic connection between the those numbers that I am missing somehow?

Yeah, you're missing it because you focused on the dollar amount I listed and not the rest.

Offline Lars_J

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So you're going to lift an 8 ton half billion $ spacecraft with a crane on wheels from the deck of a barge and then place it there? I don't think so.

Different recovery procedures for different spacecraft.

What in the world does the cost a a spacecraft to do with the cost of its recovery equipment? Do you need a billion $ crane to lift a half $ billion spacecraft? Is there some intrinsic connection between the those numbers that I am missing somehow?

Yeah, you're missing it because you focused on the dollar amount I listed and not the rest.

Ok, fine then... What is it about an 8mt ton object (Not that much heavier than Dragon) that makes it unsuitable for a crane of that type? Riddle me that, then.

Offline newpylong

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Orion CSM dry mass is actually twice as heavy as Dragon but that's besides the point.

The point was (my last sentence) they are two different types of spacecraft and providers that have different resources. NASA has decided to leverage the Navy (like it always has) and developed what they believe to be the most effective and safe method for retrieving the spacecraft and crew. Chances are the Orion recovery cost is nowhere near as high as people are speculating. The LPD's aren't exactly in high utilization right now. They are funded anyway to be out there. This isn't exactly like sending the "Fleet" out there like Apollo.

SpaceX also has their method for recovery with the Cargo Dragon. You would need to dig into CCiCap to find out how they intend to retrieve crew and the manned version).

I would compare the two methods simply out of curiosity, without the intent that the Orion method is extravagant or that the SpaceX method is the correct one simply because it's SpaceX.
« Last Edit: 08/19/2013 02:39 pm by newpylong »

Online Comga

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Orion CSM dry mass is actually twice as heavy as Dragon but that's besides the point.

The point was (my last sentence) they are two different types of spacecraft and providers that have different resources. NASA has decided to leverage the Navy (like it always has) and developed what they believe to be the most effective and safe method for retrieving the spacecraft and crew. Chances are the Orion recovery cost is nowhere near as high as people are speculating. The LPD's aren't exactly in high utilization right now. They are funded anyway to be out there. This isn't exactly like sending the "Fleet" out there like Apollo.

SpaceX also has their method for recovery with the Cargo Dragon. You would need to dig into CCiCap to find out how they intend to retrieve crew and the manned version).

I would compare the two methods simply out of curiosity, without the intent that the Orion method is extravagant or that the SpaceX method is the correct one simply because it's SpaceX.

The mass is close to irrelevant.

NASA hasn't always used the Navy.  When it went to an "operational" system, the Shuttle, it brought the spacecraft back autonomously, and built custom ships to retrieve the boosters from the ocean.  This seems to be more "Do it like Apollo." especially since NASA dropped land landings.

The Navy doesn't just have ships hanging around.  These were bought and are operated for defense purposes and the Navy is complaining bitterly that they don't have enough ships.   Shuttle launches were cancelled when weather changed at the Trans-Atlantic abort landing sites.  Could Orion launches be cancelled when there is a change in political "weather" at some location they might need to use the LCS and deploy the Marines?  :-\

And SpaceX's plan to recover manned Dragon is nominally on land.  We will see in a few years if they have an additional ship standing by for recovering from a launch abort of a manned mission.  We should see within a year what they do to retrieve the capsule from the parachute drop test and the launch abort test and the max-Q abort test, but I would put money on them doing what they have done before.
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline TomH

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AP today reported cable problems in tying down an Orion mock-up in the well of the USS San Diego. Recovery trials at sea are scrubbed until the issue is resolved.

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/21/6178140/nasa-suspends-orion-space-capsule.html

Offline darkenfast

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Over six weeks now, has anyone heard if they've figured out how to do this trial?
Writer of Book and Lyrics for musicals "SCAR", "Cinderella!", and "Aladdin!". Retired Naval Security Group. "I think SCAR is a winner. Great score, [and] the writing is up there with the very best!"
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