NASA tests launch-abort system for its moon mission

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  • NASA carried out a successful test of a launch-abort system for the Orion capsule designed to take U.S. astronauts to the Moon.
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  • Aim of the testing: The three-minute exercise aimed to test in almost real-life conditions the evacuation of astronauts from the capsule in the event of an explosion or rocket booster failure.
  • Test:
    (1) In the test, an unmanned Orion capsule was launched by a mini-rocket- a repurposed first stage of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
    (2) In just 15 seconds, the capsule gained two miles of altitude. Then the tower reoriented the capsule to prepare it for descent and disengagement from the tower.
    (3) In real-life conditions, parachutes would open to ease the manned capsule's fall toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Source
The Hindu




Posted by Jawwad Kazi on 4th Jul 2019
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