Page 14 - Aerotech News and Review 9-18-15
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Space & Technology News
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NASA’s mission to send astronauts VHYHQSDQHOVRUVHFWLRQVDQGWKH¿UVW
to deep space destinations where no two of these were welded together last
other human has traveled has taken ZHHN:KHQFRPSOHWHWKLVFDSVXOH
another important step forward with will launch on NASA’s Space Launch
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the completion of a critical milestone LQWHJUDWHGÀLJKWWHVW(0
for the Orion spacecraft currently in $VWURQDXWVZLOOÀ\RQ2ULRQIRUWKH
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Agency officials have completed ¿UVWWLPHRQ(07KDWPLVVLRQZLOO
a rigorous technical and program- EXLOGRQWKHUHVXOWVRIWKH(0ÀLJKW
matic review, confirming continued with additional requirements that the
support of the program and establish- Orion capsule includes fully integrated
ing NASA’s commitment to the pro- environmental control and life support
gram’s technical, cost, and schedule systems; controls; and communica-
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has reached this level of progress for man operation; and advanced launch
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a spacecraft designed to take humans 7KHUHFHQWUHYLHZFXOPLQDWLQJLQZKDW
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into deep space beyond the moon, in- VLRQ3RLQW&.'3&LQFOXGHVDOORI
cluding to an asteroid placed in lunar
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“Our work to send humans out into these technological advancements, and
the solar system is progressing,” said approval represents agency support for
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chitecture that will enable humanity to GHYHORSPHQW FRVW EDVHOLQH RI
set foot on the Red Planet, and we are ELOOLRQ IURP 2FWREHU WKURXJK
committed to building the spacecraft WKH¿UVWFUHZHGPLVVLRQ(0DQGD
and other elements necessary to make commitment to be ready for a launch NASA photograph by Robert Markowitz
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with astronauts no later than April 6SDFHVXLWHQJLQHHUVGHPRQVWUDWHKRZIRXUFUHZPHPEHUVZRXOGEHDUUDQJHGIRUODXQFKLQVLGHWKH2ULRQVSDFHFUDIW
A successful test of an uncrewed 7KHFRPPLWPHQWLVFRQVLVWHQW using a mockup of the vehicle at Johnson Space Center.
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()7 IOHZ LQ 'HFHPEHU with funding levels in the president’s
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providing important data that allowed schedule commitments outlined in the WKHMRXUQH\ZH¶YHRXWOLQHGWRJHWWR credible work, progressing every day a test version for the European Space
.'3&DOLJQWKH2ULRQ3URJUDPZLWK 0DUV´ and meeting milestones to prepare
engineers to identify risks associated program management best practices for our next missions,” said William Agency-provided service module at
ZLWKGHHSVSDFHÀLJKWDQGUHHQWU\DQG that account for potential technical Orion engineers now are executing Gerstenmaier, the agency’s associate 1$6$¶V3OXP%URRN6WDWLRQQHDU6DQ-
risks and budgetary uncertainty be- administrator for Human Exploration
use that knowledge to improve the de- \RQGWKHSURJUDP¶VFRQWURO a rigorous review of the spacecraft’s and Operations at NASA Headquar- dusky, Ohio; perform a series of para-
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([SORUDWLRQ0LVVLRQVDQG(0 “As we take these steps to develop engineering design and technical prog- toward an earlier readiness date for a chute tests; and complete the welding
DQG(0 the capabilities we need to send as- ¿UVWFUHZHGÀLJKWEXWZLOOEHUHDG\ RIWKHFUHZSUHVVXUHYHVVHO$OWKRXJK
tronauts deep into space, we’re also ress of the vehicle systems and subsys- no later than April 2023, and we will 2ULRQ¶VUHDGLQHVVGDWHIRU(0ZDV
Performance data has helped to aligning how we manage our human WHPV7KLVFULWLFDOGHVLJQUHYLHZZLOO keep the spacecraft, rocket and ground QRWIRUPDOO\SDUWRIWKH.'3&PLOH-
exploration systems development systems moving at their own best pos-
improve manufacturing processes, as programs to ensure we are prepared demonstrate Orion is ready to proceed VLEOHSDFHV´ stone commitment, engineers con-
ZHOO(QJLQHHUVKDYHDOUHDG\LQFRUSR- for unforeseen future hurdles,” said
Robert Lightfoot, NASA associate ad- to full-scale fabrication, assembly, In the coming months, Orion will tinue to work toward a commitment
rated many of these improvements into PLQLVWUDWRU³:H¶UHFRPPLWWLQJWRWKLV LQWHJUDWLRQDQGWHVWLQJ1$6$¶V6/6 complete its CDR; see the arrival of
HOHPHQWVRIWKH(0GHVLJQLQFOXG- funding and readiness level to stay on for SLS and GSDO to be ready for the
Program recently completed this mile- XQFUHZHG PLVVLRQ LQ IDOO DQG
ing the crew compartment or pressure
stone, and its Ground Systems Devel- NASA will set an integrated launch
vessel, which now is in fabrication
opment and Operations Program will date after GSDO’s critical design re-
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technology, which involves the interaction of an airplane’s auto-
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WKH¿UVWÀLJKWVRIWKHVHFRQGRIWZR;$DLUYHKLFOHVEXLOWE\ NASA photograph by Jim Ross
pleted the stiff wing envelope expansion phase, which included
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Research Center, Edwards, Calif.
1$6$UHVHDUFKHUVDUHXVLQJWKHUHPRWHO\SLORWHG;$WRH[SORUH NASA expanded the vehicle’s negative stability envelope up to
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an opportunity to check out aircraft systems, evaluate handling
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Although the aircraft sustained minor damage due to a landing
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Aerotech News and Review September 18, 2015
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