The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, with NASA’s Orion spacecraft mounted atop, lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 at 7:05 a.m. EST, Dec. 5, in Florida. AEDC test teams supported Exploration Flight Test-1 by assisting in testing several key components for the aircraft. (Photo by Bill Ingalls, NASA)
NASA achieved a major milestone in completing the Orion spacecraft’s first voyage to space recently.
Having had a hand in testing the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) is also celebrating this accomplishment.
Mounted atop the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, Orion launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 at 7:05 a.m. EST on Dec. 5.
AEDC project engineer Nathan Payne, who coordinated the testing for Orion in support of NASA Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), stated he’s pleased the flight went smoothly because even with the amount of testing that went into prepping the spacecraft, these events are unpredictable.
A 5.9 percent scale model of the Orion crew capsule mounted on the Delta IV booster was tested in the 16-foot transonic wind tunnel at AEDC in preparation for the spacecraft’s initial flight.
Though unmanned for this trip, the flight tested many of the vital elements for human spaceflight such as key separation events, parachutes and the heatshield. During re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, Orion endured speeds of 20,000 mph and temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Data from the flight test will be used to improve Orion’s design and reduce risks to future mission crews.
