Orion test flight

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Triton

Donald McKelvy
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Published on Dec 2, 2014

The Orion spacecraft has completed its 22-mile, 6-hour journey from the Launch Abort System Facility at Kennedy Space Center, to launch pad 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and was mated to the United Launch Alliance Delta IV. Orion is ready for its first test flight on Dec. 4, 2014.

http://youtu.be/TRmgmO8Lv60
 
orion-first-test-flight-141120b-02.jpg

http://www.space.com/27833-nasa-orion-capsule-first-test-flight-infographic.html
 
.........and a scrub. Twice from wind speed exceedances (a curiously low 21 Kt limit) and finally from some valving hiccups.
They'll try again tomorrow morning.
 
Thanks for the link, fredymac.

I watched the whole thing this morning. And though I'm a SpaceX fan, I got caught up in the drama of the attempt.

I well appreciate how, without strict adherence to protocol, things can go wrong if people start suffering 'go fever'. They did it by the numbers, stuck to the book, and they have a vehicle alive and well (sticky valves aside) and ready for tomorrows attempt.
 
Orion is finnaly in space and all things are normall, there has been no problems so far, splashdown is expected to be less than two hours from now in the Pacific. Nasa is running a speciall brodcast on the test flight at http://www.nasa.gov
 
Just back from watching the test flight on NASA TV, everything worked according to plan. Orion is now waiting pickup.
 
And, when an Orion mixed bag of vehicles brings the first NASA astronauts to Mars orbit, Musk or one of his troops will issue the following radio message:

"get your papers in order, and please present them to the immigration igloo upon touch-down".

David
 
Published on Nov 6, 2014

During a NASA Television media briefing from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA officials discussed the completed construction of the new Orion spacecraft and details of its first test flight, scheduled for Dec. 4. During the 4.5-hour flight, called Exploration Flight Test-1, Orion will travel farther than any crewed spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years, before returning to Earth at speeds near 20,000 mph and generating temperatures up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

http://youtu.be/mu98Eq-goT4
 
Published on Dec 5, 2014

NASA’s Orion spacecraft launched successfully atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket Dec. 5 at 7:05 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Orion’s Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), is the first flight test for NASA’s new deep space capsule and is a critical step on NASA's journey to Mars. The 4.5 hour flight is scheduled to conclude with the splashdown of Orion in the Pacific Ocean.

http://youtu.be/UEuOpxOrA_0
 
Published on Dec 5, 2014

After years of design, fabrication and testing Orion completed a perfect launch into Earth's orbit. After returning to Earth NASA's Orion spacecraft is seen from an unpiloted aircraft descending under three massive red and white main parachutes and then shortly after its bullseye splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, 600 miles southwest of San Diego. During the uncrewed test, Orion traveled twice through the Van Allen belt, where it experienced periods of intense radiation, and reached an altitude of 3,600 miles above Earth. The spacecraft hit speeds of 20,000 mph and weathered temperatures approaching 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it entered Earth’s atmosphere.

http://youtu.be/YzUECVf1Fw4
 
http://gizmodo.com/here-is-your-ridiculously-spectacular-orion-wallpaper-1667161500

http://www.popsci.com/nasa-drone-finds-orions-capsule
 
merriman said:
And, when an Orion mixed bag of vehicles brings the first NASA astronauts to Mars orbit, Musk or one of his troops will issue the following radio message:

"get your papers in order, and please present them to the immigration igloo upon touch-down".

David
Click to expand...

Interesting coincidence... The current issue of Analog magazine has a short story that says exacty the same thing, except it's about the Moon.


That said, this kind of makes me pessimistic, at least for the US. The "2030s" are far enough in the future that all kinds of vague promisies and inspiring speeches can be made while pushing to actually do something will be theproblem of someone else (2030 being at least 2 Presidential Admininstrations away).

I note that this recent successful flight, SLS and future plans for Orion only came about because the Congress, in a bipartisan effort) forced the Administration to go forward. You'll recall that in 2009-2010 the plan was that Orion was to be reduced to just a lifeboat for the ISS. Even with this progress, it's going to be Four years before the next unmanned flight and at least Seven Years from Orion's first flight to a test with a manned capsule. Heck! It only took eight years to go to the Moon back when we meant it, and then we were starting from scratch. A classic example of vague promises while leaving the actual doing and funding to someone else.


While I greatly support Musk and the move of private industry into space, I'm not sure they'er going to lead the way to places like Mars or beyond because at first they won't see a return on investment. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it's going to take a government sponsored (read bloated) effort to first push the frontier. Once the first expeditions and initial science missions blaze the trail, private industry, if allowed, will run right past them.

Unless of course the EPA declares the surface of Mars a "Wetlands".
 
F-14D said:
Unless of course the EPA declares the surface of Mars a "Wetlands".
Click to expand...

I keep waiting for someone to complain that we need to keep the moon in it's pristine state and not put nuclear-powered probes into space because it could contaminate the environment.
 
F-14D said:
While I greatly support Musk and the move of private industry into space, I'm not sure they'er going to lead the way to places like Mars or beyond because at first they won't see a return on investment.
Click to expand...

Uh, Musk's always said that the only reason he started SpaceX is because he wants to retire to Mars. Everything they do is geared towards that goal.
 
Awesome HD video (GoPro) of the NASA Orion Space Capsule recovery. B)
U.S. Navy Recovers NASA Orion Space Capsule • EFT-1
U.S. Navy divers from USS Anchorage (LPD 23) recover the NASA Orion space capsule after it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on December 5, 2014. The recovery operation marked the end of Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1), the first orbital test flight of the Orion spacecraft.
Click to expand...
http://youtu.be/PbRgTRSdBLg
Code: 
http://youtu.be/PbRgTRSdBLg
 
Smart video, no boasting but my actual name was on a microchip onboard orion during the test flight, and will also be on the next mars rover mission in 2020.
 
Orion EFT-1 Highlights

Published on Mar 17, 2015

The Lockheed Martin-built Orion spacecraft made history as it took its first step on a journey to Mars with its successful test flight, Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). Orion is designed to transport humans to destinations beyond low Earth orbit. During EFT-1, the spacecraft traveled 3,600 miles from Earth, (which is 15 times farther into space than the International Space Station), circled the earth twice in 4.5 hours, and reached temperatures as high as 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

https://youtu.be/2g94BKi4X_0
 
Delta IV EFT-1 Launch Highlights

Published on Dec 5, 2014

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Orion spacecraft for Lockheed Martin successfully launched from Space Launch Complex-37. ULA’s 90th mission launched this uncrewed flight test called Exploration Flight Test-1 enabling the next phase of human space exploration.

https://youtu.be/eO89KowRfiY
 

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