Orion

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https://www.nasa.gov/feature/top-five-technologies-needed-for-a-spacecraft-to-survive-deep-space

July 30, 2018

Top Five Technologies Needed for a Spacecraft to Survive Deep Space

When a spacecraft built for humans ventures into deep space, it requires an array of features to keep it and a crew inside safe. Both distance and duration demand that spacecraft must have systems that can reliably operate far fr om home, be capable of keeping astronauts alive in case of emergencies and still be light enough that a rocket can launch it.

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Artist rendering of NASA's Orion spacecraft as it travels 40,000 miles past the Moon during Exploration Mission-1, its first integrated flight with the Space Launch System rocket.

Missions near the Moon will start when NASA's Orion spacecraft leaves Earth atop the world's most powerful rocket, NASA's Space Launch System. After launch from the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Orion will travel beyond the Moon to a distance more than 1,000 times farther than wh ere the International Space Station flies in low-Earth orbit, and farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever ventured. To accomplish this feat, Orion has built-in technologies that enable the crew and spacecraft to explore far into the solar system.

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Systems to Live and Breathe

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As humans travel farther from Earth for longer missions, the systems that keep them alive must be highly reliable while taking up minimal mass and volume. Orion will be equipped with advanced environmental control and life support systems designed for the demands of a deep space mission. A high-tech system already being tested aboard the space station will remove carbon dioxide (CO2) and humidity from inside Orion. Removal of CO2 and humidity is important to ensure air remains safe for the crew breathing. And water condensation on the vehicle hardware is controlled to prevent water intrusion into sensitive equipment or corrosion on the primary pressure structure.

The system also saves volume inside the spacecraft. Without such technology, Orion would have to carry many chemical canisters that would otherwise take up the space of 127 basketballs (or 32 cubic feet) inside the spacecraft—about 10 percent of crew livable area. Orion will also have a new compact toilet, smaller than the one on the space station. Long duration missions far from Earth drive engineers to design compact systems not only to maximize available space for crew comfort, but also to accommodate the volume needed to carry consumables like enough food and water for the entirety of a mission lasting days or weeks.

Highly reliable systems are critically important when distant crew will not have the benefit of frequent resupply shipments to bring spare parts from Earth, like those to the space station. Even small systems have to function reliably to support life in space, from a working toilet to an automated fire suppression system or exercise equipment that helps astronauts stay in shape to counteract the zero-gravity environment in space that can cause muscle and bone atrophy. Distance from home also demands that Orion have spacesuits capable of keeping astronaut alive for six days in the event of cabin depressurization to support a long trip home.

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Proper Propulsion

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The farther into space a vehicle ventures, the more capable its propulsion systems need to be to maintain its course on the journey with precision and ensure its crew can get home.

Orion has a highly capable service module that serves as the powerhouse for the spacecraft, providing propulsion capabilities that enable Orion to go around the Moon and back on its exploration missions. The service module has 33 engines of various sizes. The main engine will provide major in-space maneuvering capabilities throughout the mission, including inserting Orion into lunar orbit and also firing powerfully enough to get out of the Moon's orbit to return to Earth. The other 32 engines are used to steer and control Orion on orbit.

In part due to its propulsion capabilities, including tanks that can hold nearly 2,000 gallons of propellant and a back up for the main engine in the event of a failure, Orion's service module is equipped to handle the rigors of travel for missions that are both far and long, and has the ability to bring the crew home in a variety of emergency situations.

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The Ability to Hold Off the Heat

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Going to the Moon is no easy task, and it's only half the journey. The farther a spacecraft travels in space, the more heat it will generate as it returns to Earth. Getting back safely requires technologies that can help a spacecraft endure speeds 30 times the speed of sound and heat twice as hot as molten lava or half as hot as the sun.

When Orion returns from the Moon, it will be traveling nearly 25,000 mph, a speed that could cover the distance from Los Angeles to New York City in six minutes. Its advanced heat shield, made with a material called AVCOAT, is designed to wear away as it heats up. Orion's heat shield is the largest of its kind ever built and will help the spacecraft withstand temperatures around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during reentry though Earth's atmosphere.

Before reentry, Orion also will endure a 700-degree temperature range from about minus 150 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Orion's highly capable thermal protection system, paired with thermal controls, will protect Orion during periods of direct sunlight and pitch black darkness while its crews will comfortably enjoy a safe and stable interior temperature of about 77 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Radiation Protection

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As a spacecraft travels on missions beyond the protection of Earth's magnetic field, it will be exposed to a harsher radiation environment than in low-Earth orbit with greater amounts of radiation from charged particles and solar storms that can cause disruptions to critical computers, avionics and other equipment. Humans exposed to large amounts of radiation can experience both acute and chronic health problems ranging from near-term radiation sickness to the potential of developing cancer in the long-term.

Orion was designed from the start with built in system-level features to ensure reliability of essential elements of the spacecraft during potential radiation events. For example, Orion is equipped with four identical computers that each are self-checking, plus an entirely different backup computer, to ensure Orion can still send commands in the event of a disruption. Engineers have tested parts and systems to a high standard to ensure that all critical systems remain operable even under extreme circumstances.

Orion also has a makeshift storm shelter below the main deck of the crew module. In the event of a solar radiation event, NASA has developed plans for crew on board to create a temporary shelter inside using materials on board. A variety of radiation sensors will also be on the spacecraft to help scientists better understand the radiation environment far away from Earth. One investigation called AstroRad, will fly on Exploration Mission-1 and test an experimental vest that has the potential to help shield vital organs and decrease exposure from solar particle events.

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Constant Communication and Navigation

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Spacecraft venturing far from home go beyond the Global Positioning System (GPS) in space and above communication satellites in Earth orbit. To talk with mission control in Houston, Orion's communication and navigation systems will switch from NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) system used by the International Space Station, and communicate through the Deep Space Network.

Orion is also equipped with backup communication and navigation systems to help the spacecraft stay in contact with the ground and orient itself if it's primary systems fail. The backup navigation system, a relatively new technology called optical navigation, uses a camera to take pictures of the Earth, Moon and stars and autonomously triangulate Orion's position from the photos. Its backup emergency communications system doesn't use the primary system or antennae for high-rate data transfer.

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Last Updated: Aug. 1, 2018
Editor: Mark Garcia

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 https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/albums/72157669708365837
(оригиналы по ссылкам)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/43088894214/in/album-72157669708365837/

NASA Orion AA-2 Crew Module Manager Dr. Jon Olansen, left, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer, and Orion Program Manager Mark Kirasich, right, are seen inside the Orion test crew capsule for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/28870817257/

просто временная шкала на растяжке

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https://blogs.nasa.gov/groundsystems/2018/08/06/mobile-launchers-crew-access-arm-successfully-tested/
(https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2018/08/06/mobile-launchers-crew-access-arm-successfully-tested/)

Mobile Launcher's Crew Access Arm Successfully Tested

Bob Granath
Posted Aug 6, 2018 at 4:50 pm


Technicians and engineers in Exploration Ground Systems at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida recently tested the Crew Access Arm (CAA) that was added on the mobile launcher being prepared to support the agency's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket.
Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

As astronauts prepare for trips to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, their last steps before boarding an Orion spacecraft will be across the Crew Access Arm (CAA) on the mobile launcher.

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Earlier this year, the CAA was added to the mobile launcher being prepared to support NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the largest in the world. Technicians and engineers in Exploration Ground Systems at the agency's Kennedy Space Center recently tested the crucial arm, confirming it worked as designed.

The test was designed to determine the functionality and integrity of the CAA and supporting mobile launcher systems.

"This was the first functional swing testing for the Crew Access Arm," said Cliff Lanham, Mobile Launcher Project Manager at Kennedy. "Prior to testing, we checked the mechanical attachment, hydraulics and cabling to make sure we had confidence it would work properly."

The CAA is designed to rotate from its retracted position and line up with Orion's crew hatch. The arm will provide entry and emergency egress for astronauts and technicians into and out of the Orion spacecraft.

In advance of those missions, the Exploration Ground Systems team at Kennedy has been overseeing testing of umbilicals and other launch accessories on the 380-foot-tall mobile launcher in preparation for stacking the first launch of the SLS rocket with Orion.

During the test, there were several moves of the arm controlled by systems on the mobile launcher. The test also was important because of the upcoming move of the mobile launcher from its park site to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).

"The CAA will be extended when it goes inside the VAB," Lanham said. "We cannot rotate the arm once in the VAB due to space constraints."

Testing inside the VAB is designed to ensure all systems work properly in connection with the building prior to stacking the first SLS and Orion for Exploration Mission-1. EM-1 will be the first unpiloted flight of the new NASA spacecraft traveling 280,000 miles from Earth well beyond the Moon.

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NASA Kennedy / KSC‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAKennedy 4 ч. назад

This morning members of @NASA_Orion Ascent Abort 2 Flight Test team will test the impact and recovery of the black boxes that will be aboard the April 2019 flight test. The devices will be tossed fr om a helicopter and retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean. Live updates to come.

3 ч. назад

The recovery boats for today's drop test have launched from Jetty Park in Port Canaveral. They will make the 10 mile journey out to find and recover the devices.




2 ч. назад

The helicopter has taken off from the Shuttle Landing Facility! The helicopter will fly to an altitude of 5000 ft wh ere the team will release the devices to drop back to Earth.

https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/1027182448889786368
(video 0:45)

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NASA Kennedy / KSC‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAKennedy 1 ч. назад

The devices for today's drop test have successfully dropped fr om the helicopter.

1 ч. назад

The recovery teams on the boats for today's drop test are cleared to start search and retrieval operations. They will find and recover all six devices and bring them back to shore.

20 мин. назад

All devices from today's drop test have been recovered. The team is now making the trek back to Jetty Park in Port Canaveral wh ere they will off load the devices and bring them in for further inspection and data retrieval.

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Alan Boyle‏Подлинная учетная запись @b0yle 5 мин. назад

.@NASA_SLS will have five "bus stops" for dropping off ride-along satellites. #smallsat2018

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Orion Spacecraft‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASA_Orion 13 ч. назад

.@NASA_Johnson engineers are performing weight and center of gravity tests on the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) crew module before shipment to @NASAglenn's Plum Brook facility next week.
Find out more about Orion's AA-2 test: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-moves-up-critical-crew-safety-launch-abort-test ...

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 25 мин. назад

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Digging into the details of Orion's EM-1 test flight -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/08/digging-details-orions-em-1-test-flight/ ...

- By Philip Sloss. (Epic EM-1 Render by Nathan Koga @kogavfx for NSF/L2)

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https://www.nasa.gov/feature/heat-shield-install-brings-orion-spacecraft-closer-to-space

Aug. 16, 2018

Heat Shield Install Brings Orion Spacecraft Closer to Space


Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians check fittings during installation of the heat shield to the Orion crew module July 25, 2018, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion is being prepared for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), the first unscrewed integrated flight test atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket. The heat shield will need to withstand temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during Orion's descent and re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere before it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

By Linda Herridge
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center

During Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), an uncrewed Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA's Space Launch System rocket and begin a three-week voyage in space, taking it about 40,000 miles beyond the Moon and back to Earth. On its return, the spacecraft's heat shield will need to withstand temperatures of nearing 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during its fiery re-entry through the Earth's atmosphere before it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.

Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida recently secured the heat shield to the bottom of the crew module, using 68 bolts. Designed and manufactured by Orion prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, the heat shield is like an intricate puzzle with pieces that all have to fit together perfectly. Before the final installation, a fit check was performed to ensure all of the bolt fittings lined up.

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"Installation of the EM-1 crew module heat shield is a significant milestone representing the beginning of closing out the crew module assembly," said Jules Schneider, Lockheed Martin Orion senior manager for KSC Operations. "When the heat shield is installed, access to components becomes more difficult, and in some cases there is no more access. So by installing the heat shield you are declaring that a certain percentage of the spacecraft is finished."


Lockheed Martin engineers and technicians install the heat shield to the Orion crew module July 25, 2018, inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Measuring 16.5 feet in diameter, Orion's new heat shield is the largest of its kind developed for missions that will carry astronauts. The heat shield base structure has a titanium truss covered with a composite substrate, or a skin composed of layers of carbon fiber material.

In a new process, several large blocks of an ablative material called Avcoat, licensed fr om Boston-based Textron Systems, were produced at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans by Lockheed Martin. They were shipped to Kennedy, wh ere Lockheed Martin technicians machined them into more than 180 unique blocks and bonded them to the heat shield's surface.

To fill tiny gaps between the blocks, the seams were filled with a mixture that over time will become solid. Technicians applied a coat of white epoxy paint to the heat shield's surface and then applied aluminized tape after the painted surface dried. The tape provides surface resistivity, and absorbs solar heat and infrared emissions.

"Witnessing assembly, test and installation of the EM-1 crew module heat shield brought an appreciation for its innovative design and assembly techniques," said Amy Marasia, the Crew Module Assembly operations lead in NASA's Orion Production Operations.

While Avcoat isn't new to spacecraft – it was used on the heat shields of Apollo and the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 – the technique of using blocks instead of injecting the ablative material is proving to be a real production time-saver.

"A benefit of switching from the honeycomb system to the blocks is we now can make the Avcoat blocks at the same time that the Orion structure is being made, and when the module is ready we can secure the blocks, which saves time," said John Kowal, NASA Orion Thermal Protection System manager at Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Before, with EFT-1, we had to wait for the carrier portion to be done, and then apply the Avcoat directly to the crew module."

During its first mission around the Moon, engineers will monitor how Orion's systems perform in the environment of deep space and its return to Earth. During re-entry the ablative material of the Avcoat blocks will burn away, essentially carrying the heat away from Orion because of the gases created during the ablative process.

Orion is the exploration spacecraft that will carry astronauts to deep-space destinations, including the Moon and on to Mars. Orion will be equipped with power, communications and life support systems to sustain space travelers during their long-duration missions and return them safely to Earth.

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Last Updated: Aug. 16, 2018
Editor: Linda Herridge

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NASA Glenn Research‏Подлинная учетная запись @NASAglenn 2 ч. назад

This full-scale test version of @NASA_Orion's crew module has arrived at our Space Environments Complex! We're preparing to put it through its paces in the world's most powerful acoustic test chamber. Learn more: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/correction-nasa-to-discuss-orion-ascent-abort-2-acoustic-test-at-plum-brook-station ...

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 6 мин. назад

ARTICLE:
Lockheed Martin readies Orion EM-2 Pressure Vessel for trip to KSC -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/08/lockheed-martin-orion-em-2-pressure-vessel-ksc/ ...

- By Philip Sloss

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https://www.nasa.gov/feature/successful-test-proves-important-step-toward-safeguarding-astronauts

Aug. 21, 2018

Successful Test Proves Important Step Toward Safeguarding Astronauts


Members of the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) Flight Test team perform a drop test of data recording devices about 10 miles off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. These devices, called Ejectable Data Recorders (EDRs), were tossed out of a helicopter hovering 5,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean and retrieved by recovery boats. The AA-2 Flight Test team is evaluating how the systems in the devices react to elements encountered fr om the sky to the ocean. In April 2019, the EDRs will eject fr om the Orion test article during a scheduled test of the spacecraft's Launch Abort System (LAS).
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

By Jim Cawley
NASA's Kennedy Space Center

NASA just successfully tested the approach to collect and retrieve valuable data in support of an upcoming test of the abort system for the agency's Orion spacecraft.

Engineers developed ejectable data recorders that will collect data for the abort test, which is meant to evaluate Orion's ability to get astronauts safely away from the rocket if there is a problem during their climb to space. By ejecting the recorders before the Orion test article hits the water, the team can quickly and efficiently recover the recorders for faster access to the data without having to recover the spacecraft and extract the recorders.

During a recent drop test, the recorders were released from a helicopter 5,000 feet in the air and splashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The floating devices were then located through beacons transmitting GPS coordinates and scooped up with fishing nets by NASA personnel operating marine boats.

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NASA engineers retrieve and analyze data from ejectable data recorders during a drop test in the Atlantic Ocean near Kennedy Space Center. The devices will be used in the Ascent Abort-2 Flight Test of an Orion test article in April 2019.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Recovery of the six recorders took less than an hour, which is about two hours shorter than predicted, according to the drop test conductor David Petri, from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, wh ere the Orion program is based.

"The test was fantastic," Petri said. "We met all of our test objectives, which were to verify that the recorders survived the water impact and salt water environment, functioned as intended and broadcast their location so that they could be retrieved, and ultimately verify that the data could be downloaded from the recorders with no losses or errors."

The drop test is a precursor to the Ascent Abort-2 flight test planned for April 2019 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. During this uncrewed event, 12 data recorders will be ejected from an Orion test article and will provide NASA engineers with information about g-forces, temperatures and pressures that astronauts would experience if the LAS was activated.


Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) Flight Test team members analyze data from ejectable data recorders during a drop test off the coast of Kennedy Space Center.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Ascent Abort-2 will test the launch abort system during ascent, wh ere it will encounter the greatest structural stress. A previous test, called Pad Abort-1, tested an abort scenario from the launch pad. AA-2 will be the final test of the fully active launch abort system before crewed missions.

 "The data is going to tell us the forces the astronauts will encounter if they do go through an abort during ascent," said Carlos Garcia, the LAS Orion production lead and Flight Test Management Office representative for Kennedy. "The test that we just did ensures our confidence that we can obtain and retrieve that data."


An ejectable data recorder is scooped out of the Atlantic Ocean near NASA's Kennedy Space Center during a drop test. The devices will collect data during the Ascent Abort-2 Flight Test in April 2019.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

In the AA-2 flight test, the abort sequence will initiate 55 seconds after launch at 31,000 feet. After the abort motor fires to pull the crew module away from the launch vehicle, the attitude control motor will reorient the LAS to safely separate from the crew module. The LAS will then separate from the crew module using its jettison motor. The data recorders will then be ejected from the crew module, concluding the test.

Assembly operations for the abort test are ongoing at Kennedy, and the Orion test crew module that will be used will arrive at Kennedy in December. It will undergo final integration and checkout and then be mated with the Launch Abort System. Finally, the vehicle will be transported to the launch pad and mated with the booster for the AA-2 flight test.

NASA is leading the next steps of human exploration into deep space with its Orion spacecraft that will be launched atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Together Orion and SLS will be the critical backbone capabilities that will carry humans to the Moon and extend human exploration farther into space than ever before.


NASA engineers analyze data from ejectable data recorders that were tossed out of a helicopter hovering 5,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean and retrieved by recovery boats.
Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett

"It's a huge undertaking," Garcia said. "A lot of us don't realize how important this is because we do the day-to-day work. But when you take a step back and look ... I think our country realizes how important it is to get back flying again."

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Last Updated: Aug. 23, 2018
Editor: James Cawley

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https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/langley/orions-got-some-new-bling

Aug. 21, 2018

Orion's Got Some New Bling



The Orion Ascent Abort Test-2 (AA-2) separation ring was built at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. This ring is more than a shiny, round ornament. It connects the crew module that will fly on the test to the booster that will be used to send Orion to the right test conditions and provides space and volume for separation mechanisms and instrumentation during the April 2019 flight test that will demonstrate Orion's Launch Abort System can pull the crew module to safety in an emergency during ascent to space.

The separation ring will attach the boilerplate crew module to the top of the abort test booster with pyrotechnic components that allow commanded separation of the crew module from the separation ring. The crew module heat shield fits down into the top of the separation ring and uses hardware similar to the Orion spacecraft.

The separation ring departed Langley August 20 and is scheduled to arrive at NASA's Johnson Space Center August 24 to be mated with the crew module in preparation for the flight test that will help ensure Orion can safely take astronauts on missions to the Moon and beyond.

Last Updated: Aug. 21, 2018
Editor: Kristyn Damadeo

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Mark Kirasich‏ @MarkKirasich 22 авг.

The booster for @NASA_Orion's Ascent Abort-2 test is stacked at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The booster will accelerate to Mach 1.3 before starting the Launch Abort System test. Check out the test animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HK9G7feXEk ...

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Chris B - NSF‏ @NASASpaceflight 43 мин. назад

ARTICLE: Orion elements coming together for EM-1 -

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/08/orion-elements-together-em-1/ ...

- By Philip Sloss

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https://www.nasa.gov/ames/heat-melt-compactor

Aug. 16, 2018

What is NASA's Heat Melt Compactor?

NASA's Trash Talk: Managing Garbage in Space


A potential trash management system for future, long-duration space missions, the current version of the Heat Melt Compactor, seen here in its ground configuration, has been tested extensively at NASA's Ames Research Center.
Credits: NASA/Ames Research Center/Dominic Hart

Dealing with trash is a challenge wherever people work and live, and space is no exception. To better manage this, NASA is developing a new trash processing system to demonstrate on the International Space Station. This work is critical for potential future missions traveling farther from Earth, to the Moon and Mars, and for longer periods of time. Studies have estimated the amount of astronaut trash for future long duration space missions will be about one kilogram per crewmember per day. Current modes of trash disposal and waste management will not be available at the extreme durations and distances these missions will require – while the space station is only 250 miles above us in low-Earth orbit, the Moon is about 240,000 miles away, and Mars is on average about 140,000,000 miles away! In addition, the new system will give astronauts the ability to recover valuable resources from their trash, an important thing when you have to take everything with you.

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A sample trash tile, compressed to less than one-eighth of the original trash volume, was produced by the Heat Melt Compactor.
Credits: NASA/Ames Research Center/Dominic Hart

The current approach to space trash management involves astronauts manually compacting their trash as much as possible and storing it in stowage bags. The most common way of "taking out the trash" is then to fill a spacecraft, such as a Northrop Grumman Cygnus or a Russian Progress, that delivered research experiments and supplies to the station and let it burn up during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. This is feasible for the space station, since it's relatively close to our planet, orbiting only a couple of hundred miles above us.

However, for longer-distance space missions without the frequent resupply missions that also provide crew members with trash receptacles, dealing with garbage will be more challenging. With lengthier periods of trash accumulation, storing garbage inside the spacecraft would create health risks for the humans on board. And astronauts won't just be able to dispose of garbage "overboard", because that would pose planetary protection risks – that is, the risk of contaminating another world's environment.

Another factor driving the development of a new trash processing system is that garbage actually contains valuable resources. As we travel deeper into space, it's imperative to reuse and recycle as much as possible, since it's costly to launch all the supplies and materials needed for a mission to the Moon or Mars. NASA's new trash processing system in development, the Heat Melt Compactor, will provide not only a way to safely manage garbage within a spacecraft but also a way to recover water and other resources from trash that will then be available for reuse.

The current, prototype Heat Melt Compactor system is designed to compact everyday astronaut trash into nine-inch square "tiles" that take up less than one-eighth of the original trash volume. The compacted trash is then heated to 150 degrees Celsius (more than 300 degrees Fahrenheit) to sterilize the material, boil off water and vent off noxious gases. The gases could be released to the vacuum of space or can be processed into safe gases that can be released into the spacecraft's air revitalization system. The water that boils off can be recovered for onboard needs, and the tiles – free of bacterial growth and undesirable smells – can be used for radiation shielding. Imagine using dry trash tiles to line the interior of a radiation storm shelter for increased safety!

By helping to generate practical solutions from the problem of trash and waste, the Heat Melt Compactor could play a key role in the development of sustainable space exploration programs.

The current Heat Melt Compactor has been tested extensively on Earth. The next steps will be to select a group to build an updated version of this technology and then to test it in space, aboard the International Space Station, in preparation for use on future missions to the Moon and Mars.

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Last Updated: Aug. 22, 2018
Editor: Abigail Tabor

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Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight 46 мин. назад

Detailed graphic on NASA's planned Lunar Gateway.

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Jeff Foust‏ @jeff_foust 55 мин. назад

NASA's Bill Hill says they're expecting delivery of the European Service Module for Orion at the end of September/early October. At KSC, Mobile Launcher will roll to the pad this Thursday.

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Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight 59 мин. назад

A look at the progress towards EM-1 – the maiden launch of SLS.

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Michael Baylor‏ @nextspaceflight 58 мин. назад

EM-1 vs EM-2