Major Props! Orion Propulsion Test in New Mexico a Success

On Aug 5, engineers at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility near Las Cruces, New Mexico, tested the Orion spacecraft’s service module with a ground-based firing of its propulsion and pressurization systems.

The 12-minute firing simulated an abort-to-orbit scenario – in which the system would fire long enough to place Orion in a safe, temporary orbit in the event of an issue setting Orion in the precise trajectory required to get to the Moon. That temporary orbit would allow time to evaluate the crew and spacecraft before deciding to either continue with an alternate mission profile, or return to Earth.

A test version of the propulsion system was used to fire Orion’s main engine and all eight of its auxiliary engines simultaneously. Each of the six reaction control thrusters were also periodically fired throughout the test to simulate attitude control and overall propulsion system capacity.


Download link: https://images.nasa.gov/details-8-5-2019_Orion_PQM_WSTFshortFinal.html