Orion's first test flight

[MacNut]

For all of the space junkies around here, the Orion space capsule will make it's first test flight Thursday, December 4.

A spaceship built to carry humans is about to venture into deep space for the first time in more than four decades.

NASA's Orion space capsule is scheduled to blast off on its first test flight Thursday (Dec. 4). The unmanned mission, called Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), will send Orion zooming about 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers) from Earth, before rocketing back to the planet at high speeds to test out the capsule's heat shield, avionics and a variety of other systems.

No human-spaceflight vehicle has traveled so far since 1972, when the last of NASA's Apollo moon missions came back to Earth. Indeed, in all that time, no craft designed to carry crews has made it beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO), just a few hundred miles from the planet.

If all goes according to plan, Orion will eventually fly farther than any Apollo capsule ever did, taking astronauts to near-Earth asteroids and — by the mid-2030s — the ultimate destination, Mars.

"I gotta tell you, this is special," Bob Cabana, director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, said about EFT-1 during a press briefing last month. "This is our first step on that journey to Mars."

http://www.space.com/27883-nasa-orion-capsule-deep-space.html?adbid=10152480462751466

 

[S.B.G]

That's exciting news! I'm looking forward to seeing the results of the test flight and what the future may bring. Difficult to believe it's been over forty years since we've gone further than LEO.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

For all of the space junkies around here, the Orion space capsule will make it's first test flight Thursday, December 4.

http://www.space.com/27883-nasa-orion-capsule-deep-space.html?adbid=10152480462751466

That's exciting news! I'm looking forward to seeing the results of the test flight and what the future may bring. Difficult to believe it's been over forty years since we've gone further than LEO.

Thanks for posting this, MacNut; a fascinating story.

Actually, I agree with SBG that it is indeed difficult to believe that it has been over 40 years since humanity have gone further than a Low Earth Orbit. I remember the moon landings - I was a very small kid at the time, utterly entranced by the whole thing. I thought it awesome, and I still do, over 40 years later.

 

[S.B.G]

Thanks for posting this, MacNut; a fascinating story.

Actually, I agree with SBG that it is indeed difficult to believe that it has been over 40 years since humanity have gone further than a Low Earth Orbit. I remember the moon landings - I was a very small kid at the time, utterly entranced by the whole thing. I thought it awesome, and I still do, over 40 years later.

To think that the 'space race' was encouraged by the 'Cold War' and Sputnik being the first thing in space. It's kind of sad, in a way, that it was the Cold War which really got humanity to dive into space.

 

[localoid]

To think that the 'space race' was encouraged by the 'Cold War' and Sputnik being the first thing in space. It's kind of sad, in a way, that it was the Cold War which really got humanity to dive into space.

Yes, space was simply another "high ground", the kind of place that military forces have always desired to be first to reach and control...

 

[juanm]

Thanks for posting this, MacNut; a fascinating story.

Actually, I agree with SBG that it is indeed difficult to believe that it has been over 40 years since humanity have gone further than a Low Earth Orbit. I remember the moon landings - I was a very small kid at the time, utterly entranced by the whole thing. I thought it awesome, and I still do, over 40 years later.

If you haven't already, check Copenhagen Suborbitals. They are a group of passionate amateurs who are building a sizeable rocket. "Amateur rocketry" you'll say. Well, not, they aim to put a man or a woman in space, inside their rocket.

... this is what their engines look like...

...the capsule...

...and a launch...

...and they launched their rockets from a floating dock, way before SpaceX...

And they move their floating dock out to sea with...
A freaking submarine! (of course, they built the submarine themselves)

They are bold, there's no denying it...

 

[aaronvan]

Got to get up at 0400 to watch the launch live. Can't wait!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

If you haven't already, check Copenhagen Suborbitals. They are a group of passionate amateurs who are building a sizeable rocket. "Amateur rocketry" you'll say. Well, not, they aim to put a man or a woman in space, inside their rocket.

... this is what their engines look like...

Image

...the capsule...

Image

...and a launch...

Image

...and they launched their rockets from a floating dock, way before SpaceX...

Image

And they move their floating dock out to sea with...
A freaking submarine! (of course, they built the submarine themselves)

Image

They are bold, there's no denying it...

Wow. Absolutely fascinating. That is simply incredible, and thank you very much for drawing my attention to this; I had never even heard of them.

 

[MacNut]

Here is some NASA goodness explaining the flight.

And everything else. http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/orion/index.html

 

[ucfgrad93]

I hope everything goes well for the launch and flight. It is about time NASA got back into the business of sending humans to explore space and not just robots.

 

[Antares]

To think that the 'space race' was encouraged by the 'Cold War' and Sputnik being the first thing in space. It's kind of sad, in a way, that it was the Cold War which really got humanity to dive into space.

Maybe another cold war would kick us into gear, again...ignite a 2nd space race?

 

[MacNut]

Maybe another cold war would kick us into gear, again...ignite a 2nd space race?

The space agencies all work together now for the most part.

 

[localoid]

I hope everything goes well for the launch and flight. It is about time NASA got back into the business of sending humans to explore space and not just robots.

Our little robotic friends can pull off some pretty mind-blowing stuff. Take for example, NASA's planned mission to send a robotic mission to capture and redirect an asteroid to orbit the moon, which a future Orion manned mission will explore in the 2020s, the astronauts returning to earth with samples.

 

[MacNut]

For those that want to watch Orion lift off. If the wind ever dies down.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

 

[aaronvan]

Still on hold...did I get up at 0400 for nothing?

 

[BornAgainMac]

They should make it look like a T-Fighter by putting 2 solar panels on both sides.

 

[MacNut]

They should make it look like a T-Fighter by putting 2 solar panels on both sides.

Actually. http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/03/esa-member-states-commit-funding-for-orion-service-module/

The launch has been rescheduled for Friday morning at 7:05 EST

 

[ucfgrad93]

Hopefully the winds won't be so strong tomorrow morning.

 

[MacNut]

Hopefully the winds won't be so strong tomorrow morning.

I find it fascinating that they have a wind sensor that can override the launch when the winds get to high. This system seems to have a lot more safeguards built in.

 

[localoid]

I find it fascinating that they have a wind sensor that can override the launch when the winds get to high. This system seems to have a lot more safeguards built in.

Not sure about a "sensor" -- NASA usually relies on the 45th Weather Squadron which provides weather assessments for NASA flights. The 45th has the Launch Mission Execution Forecast posted for tomorrow's projected launch on their website. Usually, 30 minutes before launch the 45th briefs the launch team on the latest weather conditions at the launch site. Next comes the final 15 minute "hold" on the countdown in which go or no-go conditions are accessed.

 

[MacNut]

Not sure about a "sensor" -- NASA usually relies on the 45th Weather Squadron which provides weather assessments for NASA flights. The 45th has the Launch Mission Execution Forecast posted for tomorrow's projected launch on their website.

The rocket itself or something on the tower has a built in sensor that will halt the countdown if the wind goes above 20 knots.

 

[localoid]

The rocket itself or something on the tower has a built in sensor that will halt the countdown if the wind goes above 20 knots.

The 45th Weather Squadron has a _vast_ array of sensors that monitor various weather condition in the launch area, and they also launch weather balloons just hours before launches that measure wind speeds. The map below shows the myriad of weather sensors scattered around the Space Coast, which is from the article Keeping an Eye on Launch Day Weather. The meteorological sensors used by 45th Weather Squadron are considered the most unique and dense suite of weather sensors in the world. The Florida Institute of Technology and the National Data Buoy Center operates even more meteorological and oceanographic sensors in the area that aren't shown on the map below.

The Orion mission is launching from Launch Complex 37B, which is area on the map above where one of the large cluster of wind sensors is located. The map below shows the location of 37b and the other launch complexes. (Note the map is oriented differently that the previous map.)

 

[S.B.G]

Looks like the launch was good and booster separation went well after five minutes of flight. Also said it was moving over Mach 5!

 

[localoid]

Go Orion!

 

[ucfgrad93]

Awesome! No hopefully, the re-entry will go well.