NASA put its Orion spacecraft to the test ahead of its planned journey to the Moon.
Were taking a proven vehicle from a successful flight and pushing it to its limits.
The safety of the astronaut crew depends on this test campaign.
The Orion Environmental Test Article inside the Thermal Vacuum Chamber in the Space Environments Complex at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.NASA/Quentin Schwinn
It looks like the Orion module passed the test.
Its been a successful test campaign, Overy said.
We are still analyzing data, but the preliminary results show the vehicle and facility operated as desired.
The forward bay cover is the last piece that must eject before parachutes deploy. Credit: NASA/Jordan Salkin and Quentin Schwinn/Gizmodo
NASA has been preparing for this test for over a decade.
In November 2022,Orion launched on a 1.4 million mile journey to the Moon and back.
The mission was considered a success, despite anunexpected performance from Orions heat shieldduring reentry.
Artemis 3 was also delayed to sometime in mid-2027.
Fortunately, Orion is now prepared to push itself away from the rocket in case of an emergency.
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