NASA’s next generation spacecraft Orion is getting ready to be tested before sending astronauts deeper into space than ever before. It will be launched into orbit of our planet as part of the Exploration Flight Test-1 to collect data for the future missions that will be carrying astronauts aboard.
NASA’s next generation spacecraft Orion is getting ready to be tested before sending astronauts deeper into space than ever before.
It will be launched into Earth's orbit as part of the Exploration Flight Test-1, meant to collect data for future manned-missions.
Orion will return to Earth after spending around four hours and twenty-five minutes in orbit.
Jets will be used to properly position Orion before it enters Earth’s atmosphere 75 miles above the surface.
Traveling at over 20 thousand miles per hour, it gets so hot that plasma forms at four thousand degrees Fahrenheit in the air particles around the spacecraft.
During testing, crew members on the ground will monitor the status of the spacecraft’s return to Earth, but they will temporarily lose the data connection because of the plasma’s extremely high temperatures.
The onboard jets continue to maintain the proper orientation for reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, while the heat shield, which is the largest of its kind ever constructed, protects the rest of the vehicle.
Finally, Orion will deploy parachutes in stages to gradually reduce the speed until it reaches a safe landing.
