Page 5 - Aerotech News and Review 5-20-16

NASA Armstrong honored for Orion work
by Jay Levine
NASA Armstrong FRC
NASA’s Orion space program representatives
came to NASA Armstrong Flight Research Cen-
ter in California recently to honor employees’
contributions and talk about the space program.
Charlie Lundquist, NASA Orion deputy
program manager, C.J. Johnson, Orion project
manager for the Capsule Parachute Assembly
System, Ann Bufkin, Orion CPAS test engineer
and Barbara Zelon, Orion program communica-
tions manager, also learned details of the cen-
ter’s support during their visit.
“We are thrilled to be here,” said Lundquist.
“We appreciate your contributions to manned
space flight and the Orion, and we are excited
about the progress we are making.”
During the award ceremony, Lindquist pre-
sented Armstrong Deputy Director Patrick Sto-
liker an American flag that was flown aboard
the Orion capsule during the Exploration Flight
Test-1 mission on Dec. 5, 2014.
NASA’s Ikhana remotely piloted aircraft,
which is based at Armstrong, was used to cap-
tured live video during the Orion re-entry and
landing for that mission. Planning is ongoing for
the Ikhana to again be available for the re-entry
at the conclusion of the Orion and Space Launch
System Exploration Mission-1 certification mis-
sion expected in 2018.
“We learned about some of the challenges
today of how the team here was able to get the
Ikhana to the right place, at the right time to
provide the impressive footage of Orion’s re-
entry,” Johnson said. “We appreciate what you
were able to acquire.”
To support CPAS, Armstrong provides air-
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to-air aircraft imagery and chase plane support
for the C-17 airlaunch of the system tested at NASA photograph by Ken Ulbrich
the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground in Ari-
zona. Photography and videography is used for Charlie Lundquist, NASA Orion deputy program manager, right, presents an American flag flown
test reconstruction and parachute performance aboard the Orion capsule during the Exploration Flight Test-1 mission to Armstrong Deputy
photogrammetric analysis. Director Patrick Stoliker.
“CPAS provided a lot of data collection on journey to Mars. Teams across the country are plier and subcontractor companies in Califor-
the parachute’s performance and photo and making steady progress toward their first inte- nia working on the Orion (300) and SLS (462)
video documentation gives us unique views on grated flight, including building a revitalized programs.
key events that are used in helping in the evalu- launch complex at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
ation of the system,” Johnson added. “Certifying Suppliers across California are designing and
parachutes for human spaceflight is not easy.” Armstrong, Edwards Air Force Base and manufacturing complex and detailed lightweight
many suppliers in California contribute to metallic and composite structures, specialized
In addition to work on EFT-1, Armstrong is making Orion and SLS missions successful and components and tooling, and other elements
supporting CPAS during the qualification testing enabling NASA’s journey to Mars. The Orion critical for NASA’s next deep space human ex-
for EM-1. A successful flight is a step toward a and SLS programs collectively have 762 sup- ploration missions.
manned mission in the early 2020s.
EM-1 is a Proving Ground mission. The Prov-
ing Ground is the space near Earth and extend-
ing beyond the moon’s orbit where we dem-
onstrate human and technical capabilities for
long-duration space exploration with the goal
of achieving Earth independence and readiness
to proceed on the long voyage to Mars.
“EM-1 will validate that the systems are safe
and reliable because the next time it counts –
when we have astronauts aboard,” Lindquist
said.
NASA Armstrong is supporting Orion launch
abort system flight test development, includ-
ing preparations for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-
2) abort flight test in 2019. Armstrong will be
providing development flight instrumentation
for AA-2. Armstrong also manages the NASA
contract for the Abort Test Booster, which will
be used for the AA-2 launch.
The Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch
System (SLS) exploration rocket will enable
humans to travel into deep space on NASA’s
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