NASA
completed a full-scale rocket motor test on Thursday,
July 17, to further development of the Orion jettison
motor, which will separate the spacecraft's launch abort
system from the crew module during launch. Orion, the
Constellation Program's crew exploration vehicle now
under development, will fly to the International Space
Station and be part of the spaceflight system to conduct
sustained human exploration of the moon.
NASA and Aerojet successfully fired the jettison motor
at the Aerojet facility in Sacramento, Calif. The
demonstration is part of a series of developmental tests
that pave the way for delivery of the motor to be used
for the first full-scale test of the launch abort system
at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New
Mexico late this year.
Engineers will use the test firing to verify that the
motor meets specification requirements and to help
define induced acoustic, vibration and shock loads
caused by the motor. The successful test firing of the
jettison motor increases the technical readiness of the
launch abort system and is the first full-scale rocket
propulsion element qualified to proceed into a
system-level demonstration. The test firing also
verified that the system’s design criteria and
manufacturing processes are in place.
This test and others like it are critical milestones in
NASA's preparations for a series of flight tests of the
full Orion abort system. The launch abort system will
provide a safe escape for the crew in an emergency on
the launch pad or during the climb to orbit.
NASA has partnered with Lockheed Martin Corporation and
Aerojet to supply the jettison motor. NASA's Langley
Research Center in Hampton, Va., manages the Orion
launch abort system design and development effort with
partners and team members from NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
Video of the test:
main_jettison_motor_71708.wmv (~9mb)
Screenshots of the video:
