Orion is preparing for extreme tests before its historic flight
The Orion spacecraft, which completed the successful Artemis 1 mission in 2022, made another flight — in Ohio, where it will undergo ground testing at NASA's Neil Armstrong Test Facility.
This test is critical to the safety and success of the upcoming Artemis 2 mission, which is scheduled for a 10-day flight test in 2025 during which four astronauts will test the spacecraft's capabilities in reaching the lunar environs. Artemis 2 will be the first crewed mission of the campaign Artemis.
Over the next eight months, engineers and technicians from NASA and Lockheed Martin will put a test prototype of the Orion spacecraft through the paces. extreme conditions it might encounter during a launch abort scenario. This testing includes simulated lightning strikes and acoustic testing reaching levels of over 160 decibels. In addition, the tests also include the deployment of the spacecraft's docking and protective coverings, the crew module's ascent system, and the five airbags on top of the capsule that are inflated upon landing. The purpose of this test campaign — ensure that «Orion» will be ready to protect the crew in the event of an emergency.
Development of «Orion» began with space environmental testing conducted in 2019 and 2020 at Armstrong Proving Ground ahead of major flight testing in 2022. The Sandusky Proving Ground is the only place in the world capable of conducting full-scale testing of spacecraft under the extreme conditions encountered during launch and flight.