Orion (nave espacial)

Orion (oficialmente Orion multiuso tripulación del vehículo o Orion MPCV ) es una clase de parcialmente reutilizables cápsulas espaciales para ser utilizado en la NASA 's de vuelos espaciales tripulados programas. La nave espacial consta de un Módulo de tripulación (CM) diseñado por Lockheed Martin y el Módulo de servicio europeo (ESM) fabricado por Airbus Defence and Space . Capaz de soportar una tripulación de seis personas más allá de la órbita terrestre baja , Orion puede durar hasta 21 días desacoplado y hasta seis meses atracado. Está equipado con paneles solares , un sistema de acoplamiento automatizado yinterfaces de cabina de vidrio modeladas a partir de las utilizadas en el Boeing 787 Dreamliner . Un solo motor AJ10 proporciona la propulsión primaria de la nave espacial, mientras que ocho motores R-4D-11 y seis módulos de motores de sistemas de control de reacción personalizados desarrollados por Airbus proporcionan la propulsión secundaria de la nave espacial. Aunque es compatible con otros vehículos de lanzamiento , Orion está diseñado principalmente para lanzarse sobre un cohete Space Launch System (SLS), con un sistema de escape de lanzamiento de torre .

Orión
Nave espacial Orion de la NASA en el Centro Espacial Kennedy
La nave espacial Orion para Artemis 1 , octubre de 2020
Fabricante
OperadorNASA [1]
AplicacionesExploración con tripulación más allá de LEO [2]
Especificaciones
Tipo de nave espacialTripulado
Masa de lanzamiento
  • CM: 22,900 libras (10,400 kg)
  • ESM: 34,085 libras (15,461 kg)
  • Total (con LAS): 73,735 lb (33,446 kg)
  • Masa lunar inyectada: 58.467 libras (26.520 kg)
Secado masivo
  • CM: 20.500 libras (9.300 kg) de peso de aterrizaje
  • ESM: 13,635 libras (6,185 kg)
Capacidad de carga útilCarga útil de retorno de 220 lb (100 kg)
Capacidad de la tripulación2–6 [4]
Volumen
  • Presurizado: 690,6 pies cúbicos (20 m 3 ) [5]
  • Habitable: 316 pies cúbicos (9 m 3 )
EnergíaSolar
RégimenÓrbita de transferencia lunar , órbita lunar
Vida de diseño21,1 días [3]
Dimensiones
Largo10 pies 10 pulgadas (3,30 m)
Diámetro16 pies 6 pulgadas (5,03 m)
Producción
EstadoEn producción
Construido4
En orden6-12 (+3 pedidos antes de 2019) [6]
Lanzado1
Lanzamiento inaugural5 de diciembre de 2014
Nave espacial relacionada
Derivado de
Parche del Triángulo de Orión.svg

Orión fue concebido originalmente [ ¿cuándo? ] por Lockheed Martin como una propuesta para que el Vehículo de Exploración de Tripulación (CEV) se utilice en el programa Constellation de la NASA . La propuesta de Lockheed Martin derrotó a una propuesta competitiva de Northrop Grumman , y fue seleccionada por la NASA en 2006 para ser el CEV. Originalmente diseñada con un módulo de servicio con un nuevo "motor principal Orion" y un par de paneles solares circulares, la nave espacial iba a ser lanzada sobre el cohete Ares I. Tras la cancelación del programa Constellation en 2010, Orion fue rediseñado en gran medida para su uso en la iniciativa Viaje a Marte de la NASA; más tarde llamado Luna a Marte. El SLS reemplazó el Ares I como principal vehículo de lanzamiento de Orión, y el módulo de servicio fue reemplazado con un diseño basado en la Agencia Espacial Europea 's Automated Transfer Vehicle . En 2014 se lanzó una versión de desarrollo del CM de Orion durante el Exploration Flight Test-1 , mientras que se han producido al menos cuatro artículos de prueba. A partir de 2020, se están construyendo tres naves espaciales Orion dignas de volar, y se ha pedido una adicional, [a] para su uso en el programa Artemis de la NASA ; el primero de ellos se lanzará en 2021 en Artemis 1 . El 30 de noviembre de 2020, se informó que la NASA y Lockheed Martin habían encontrado una falla con un componente en una de las unidades de datos de energía de la nave espacial Orion, pero la NASA aclaró más tarde que no espera que el problema afecte la fecha de lanzamiento de Artemis 1. [9] [10]

Interactive 3D models of the spacecraft, with the spacecraft on the right in exploded view.
Modelos interactivos en 3D de Orion, con la nave espacial completamente integrada a la izquierda y en vista de despiece a la derecha.

Orion usa la misma configuración básica que el módulo de servicio y comando de Apolo (CSM) que primero llevó a los astronautas a la Luna, pero con un diámetro aumentado, un sistema de protección térmica actualizado y una serie de otras tecnologías modernas. Será capaz de soportar misiones en el espacio profundo de larga duración con hasta 21 días de tiempo activo de la tripulación más 6 meses de vida de la nave espacial inactiva. [11] Durante el período de inactividad, el soporte vital de la tripulación sería proporcionado por otro módulo, como el Deep Space Habitat propuesto . Los sistemas de soporte vital, propulsión, protección térmica y aviónica de la nave pueden actualizarse a medida que se disponga de nuevas tecnologías. [12]

La nave espacial Orion incluye módulos de servicio y tripulación, un adaptador de nave espacial y un sistema de aborto de lanzamiento de emergencia. El Orion 's módulo de la tripulación es más grande que Apolo y puede soportar más miembros de la tripulación para misiones de corta duración o de larga duración. El módulo de servicio europeo impulsa y alimenta la nave espacial, además de almacenar oxígeno y agua para los astronautas, Orion depende de la energía solar en lugar de las celdas de combustible que permiten misiones más largas.

Módulo de tripulación (CM)

Interior de la maqueta de Orion en octubre de 2014.
Prueba del sistema de paracaídas de Orion.

El módulo de tripulación Orion (CM) es una cápsula de transporte reutilizable que proporciona un hábitat para la tripulación, proporciona almacenamiento para consumibles e instrumentos de investigación y contiene el puerto de atraque para los traslados de la tripulación. [12] [13] [14] El módulo de la tripulación es la única parte de la nave espacial que regresa a la Tierra después de cada misión y tiene una forma de cono truncado de 57,5 ° con un extremo de popa esférico romo, 5,02 metros (16 pies 6 pulgadas) en de diámetro y 3,3 metros (10 pies 10 pulgadas) de longitud, [15] con una masa de aproximadamente 8,5 toneladas métricas (19.000 libras). Fue fabricado por Lockheed Martin Corporation en Michoud Assembly Facility en Nueva Orleans . [16] Tendrá un 50% más de volumen que la cápsula Apolo y llevará de cuatro a seis astronautas. [17] Después de un extenso estudio, la NASA ha seleccionado el sistema de ablación Avcoat para el módulo de tripulación Orion. Avcoat, que se compone de fibras de sílice con una resina en un panal de fibra de vidrio y resina fenólica , se utilizó anteriormente en las misiones Apollo y en el orbitador del transbordador espacial para los primeros vuelos. [18]

El CM de Orion utilizará tecnologías avanzadas, que incluyen:

  • Sistemas de control digital de cabina de vidrio derivados de los del Boeing 787 . [19]
  • Una función de "acoplamiento automático", como las de Progress , el Vehículo de transferencia automatizada y Dragon 2 , con la posibilidad de que la tripulación de vuelo se haga cargo en caso de emergencia. La tripulación ha atracado todas las naves espaciales estadounidenses anteriores.
  • Instalaciones mejoradas para la gestión de residuos, con un inodoro en miniatura estilo camping y el "tubo de alivio" unisex utilizado en el transbordador espacial.
  • A nitrógeno / oxígeno ( N
    2    / O
    2    ) atmósfera mixta a nivel del mar (101,3  kPa o 14,69  psi ) o presión reducida (55,2 a 70,3 kPa o 8,01 a 10,20 psi).
  • Computadoras mucho más avanzadas [ aclaración necesaria ] que en los vehículos de la tripulación anteriores. [ cita requerida ]

El CM estará construido con una aleación de aluminio y litio . Los paracaídas de recuperación reutilizables se basarán en los paracaídas utilizados tanto en la nave espacial Apollo como en los impulsores de cohetes sólidos del transbordador espacial , y estarán construidos con tela Nomex . Los desembarques de agua serán el medio exclusivo de recuperación para el Orion CM. [20] [21]

Para permitir que Orion se acople con otros vehículos, estará equipado con el sistema de acoplamiento de la NASA . La nave espacial empleará un sistema de escape de lanzamiento (LES) junto con una "cubierta protectora de refuerzo" (hecha de fibra de vidrio ), para proteger el Orion CM de las tensiones aerodinámicas y de impacto durante los primeros 2+1 ⁄ 2 minutos de ascenso. Sus diseñadores afirman que el MPCV está diseñado para ser 10 veces más seguro durante el ascenso y el reingreso que el transbordador espacial . [22] El CM está diseñado para ser renovado y reutilizado. Además, todos los componentes de Orion se han diseñado para ser lo más modulares posible, de modo que entre el primer vuelo de prueba de la nave en 2014 y su viaje proyectado a Marte en la década de 2030, la nave espacial se puede actualizar a medida que se disponga de nuevas tecnologías. [12]

A partir de 2019, está previsto que el Monitor atmosférico de la nave espacial se utilice en el Orion CM. [23]

Módulo de servicio europeo (ESM)

Concepto artístico de una nave espacial Orion que incluye el módulo de servicio europeo con la etapa superior criogénica provisional adjunta en la parte posterior

En mayo de 2011, el director general de la ESA anunció una posible colaboración con la NASA para trabajar en un sucesor del Vehículo Automatizado de Transferencia (ATV). [24] El 21 de junio de 2012, Airbus Defence and Space anunció que se les habían adjudicado dos estudios separados, cada uno por valor de 6,5 millones de euros, para evaluar las posibilidades de utilizar la tecnología y la experiencia obtenida del trabajo relacionado con ATV y Columbus para futuras misiones. El primero examinó la posible construcción de un módulo de servicio que se utilizaría en conjunto con el Orion CM. [25] El segundo examinó la posible producción de un vehículo orbital polivalente y versátil. [26]

El 21 de noviembre de 2012, la ESA decidió desarrollar un módulo de servicio derivado de ATV para Orion. [27] El módulo de servicio está siendo fabricado por Airbus Defence and Space en Bremen , Alemania. [28] La NASA anunció el 16 de enero de 2013 que el módulo de servicio de la ESA volará primero en Artemis 1 , el lanzamiento debut del Space Launch System . [29]

Las pruebas del módulo de servicio europeo comenzaron en febrero de 2016, en la Space Power Facility . [30]

El 16 de febrero de 2017, se firmó un contrato de 200 millones de euros entre Airbus y la Agencia Espacial Europea para la producción de un segundo módulo de servicio europeo para su uso en el primer vuelo tripulado de Orion, Artemis 2 . [31]

El 26 de octubre de 2018, la primera unidad para Artemis 1 se ensambló en su totalidad en la fábrica de Airbus Defence and Space en Bremen. [32]

Lanzamiento del sistema de aborto (LAS)

En caso de una emergencia en la plataforma de lanzamiento o durante el ascenso, un sistema de suspensión de lanzamiento (LAS) separará el módulo de tripulación del vehículo de lanzamiento utilizando tres motores cohete sólidos : un motor de suspensión (AM), [33] un motor de control de actitud (ACM) y un motor de lanzamiento (JM). El AM proporciona el empuje necesario para acelerar la cápsula, mientras que el ACM se utiliza para apuntar el AM [34] y el motor de lanzamiento separa el LAS de la cápsula de la tripulación. [35] El 10 de julio de 2007, Orbital Sciences , el contratista principal de LAS, otorgó a Alliant Techsystems (ATK) un subcontrato de $ 62.5 millones para "diseñar, desarrollar, producir, probar y entregar el motor de aborto de lanzamiento", que utiliza un diseño de "flujo inverso". [36] El 9 de julio de 2008, la NASA anunció que ATK había completado la construcción de un banco de pruebas vertical en una instalación en Promontory, Utah para probar motores de aborto de lanzamiento para la nave espacial Orion. [37] Otro contratista de motores espaciales desde hace mucho tiempo, Aerojet , recibió el contrato de diseño y desarrollo del motor de desecho para el LAS. En septiembre de 2008, Aerojet , junto con los miembros del equipo Orbital Sciences , Lockheed Martin y la NASA , demostraron con éxito dos disparos de prueba a gran escala del motor de lanzamiento. Este motor se utiliza en todos los vuelos, ya que aleja la torre LAS del vehículo después de un lanzamiento exitoso y un aborto de lanzamiento. [38]

El Orion MPCV fue anunciado por la NASA el 24 de mayo de 2011. [39] Su diseño se basa en el Vehículo de Exploración de Tripulación del programa Constellation cancelado , [40] que había sido un contrato de la NASA adjudicado en 2006 a Lockheed Martin . [41] Lockheed Martin está construyendo el módulo de comando en las instalaciones de ensamblaje de Michoud , [42] mientras que Airbus Defence and Space está construyendo el módulo de servicio Orion con fondos de la Agencia Espacial Europea . [29] [43] El primer vuelo de prueba sin tripulación del MPCV (EFT-1) se lanzó sobre un cohete Delta IV Heavy el 5 de diciembre de 2014 y duró 4 horas y 24 minutos antes de aterrizar en su objetivo en el Océano Pacífico . [44] [45] [46] [47]

Planificación e historial de financiación

Para los años fiscales 2006 a 2020, Orion gastó fondos por un total de $ 18,764 millones en dólares nominales. Esto equivale a 21.477 millones de dólares ajustados a dólares de 2020 utilizando los índices de inflación New Start de la NASA. [48]

Para el año fiscal 2021, se solicitaron $ 1,401 millones [49] para el programa Orion.

Año fiscal Financiamiento (nominal, en millones de dólares) Financiamiento (en dólares de 2020, en millones de dólares) [48]Nombre de la línea de pedido
2006 839,2 1.122,5 CEV [50]
2007 714,5 920,2 CEV [51]
2008 1.174,1 1.460,1 CEV [52]
2009 1.747,9 2.133,1 CEV [52]
2010 1,640 1.974,4 CEV [52]
2011 1.196,0 1.417,4 MPCV [53]
2012 1200 1.406,7 Orion MPCV [54]
2013 1,138 1.314,3 Orion MPCV [55]
2014 1,197 1.355,8 Programa Orión [56]
2015 1.190,2 1.321,5 Programa Orión [57]
2016 1270 1.390,9 Programa Orión [58]
2017 1.350,0 1.451,4 Orión [59]
2018 1.350,0 1.416,9 Orión [60]
2019 1.350,0 1.385,2 Orión [49]
2020 1.406,7 1,406.7 Orion[61]
2021 1,406.7 1,406.7 Orion[62]
2006-2020 Total $18,764 Total $21,477

Excluded from the prior Orion costs are:

  1. Most costs "for production, operations, or sustainment of additional crew capsules, despite plans to use and possibly enhance this capsule after 2021";[63] production and operations contracts were awarded going into fiscal year 2020[64]
  2. Costs of the first service module and spare parts, which are provided by ESA[65] for the test flight of Orion (about US$1 billion)[66]
  3. Costs to assemble, integrate, prepare and launch the Orion and its launcher (funded under the NASA Ground Operations Project,[67] currently about $400M[68] per year)
  4. Costs of the launcher, the SLS, for the Orion spacecraft

For 2021 to 2025, NASA estimates[69] yearly budgets for Orion from $1.4 to $1.1 billion. In late 2015, the Orion program was assessed at a 70% confidence level for its first crewed flight by 2023.[70][71][72]

There are no NASA estimates for the Orion program recurring yearly costs once operational, for a certain flight rate per year, or for the resulting average costs per flight. However, a production and operations contract[73] awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2019 indicated NASA will pay the prime contractor $900M for the first three Orion capsules and $633M for the following three.[74] In 2016, the NASA manager of exploration systems development said that Orion, SLS, and supporting ground systems should cost "US$2 billion or less" annually.[75] NASA will not provide the cost per flight of Orion and SLS, with associate administrator William H. Gerstenmaier stating "costs must be derived from the data and are not directly available. This was done by design to lower NASA's expenditures" in 2017.[76]

Ground test articles, mockups, and boilerplates

NASA and DoD personnel familiarize themselves with a Navy-built, 18,000-pound (8,200 kg) Orion mock-up in a test pool at the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Carderock Division in Potomac, Md.
The Orion Drop Test Article during a test on February 29, 2012
Test article being airlifted to the Pad Abort-1 flight test.
  • Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF) in Johnson Space Center, includes a full-scale Orion capsule mock-up for astronaut training.[77]
  • MLAS An Orion boilerplate was used in the MLAS test launch.
  • Ares-I-X The Orion Mass Simulator was used on the Ares I-X flight test.
  • Pad Abort 1 An Orion boilerplate was used for the Pad Abort 1 flight test, the LAS was fully functional, the boilerplate was recovered
  • Ascent Abort-2 An Orion boilerplate was used for the Ascent Abort 2 flight test, the LAS was fully functional, the boilerplate was discarded
  • The Boilerplate Test Article (BTA) underwent splashdown testing at the Langley Research Center. This same test article has been modified to support Orion Recovery Testing in stationary and underway recovery tests.[78] The BTA contains over 150 sensors to gather data on its test drops.[79] Testing of the 18,000-pound (8,200 kg) mockup ran from July 2011 to January 6, 2012.[80]
  • The Ground Test Article (GTA) stack, located at Lockheed Martin in Denver, is undergoing vibration testing.[81] It is made up by the Orion Ground Test Vehicle (GTV) combined with its Launch Abort System (LAS). Further testing will see the addition of service module simulator panels and Thermal Protection System (TPS) to the GTA stack.[82]
  • The Drop Test Article (DTA), also known as the Drop Test Vehicle (DTV) underwent test drops at the US Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona from an altitude of 25,000 feet (7,600 m).[82] Testing began in 2007. Drogue chutes deploy around 20,000 and 15,000 feet (6,100 and 4,600 m). Testing of the staged parachutes includes the partial opening and complete failure of one of the three main parachutes. With only two chutes deployed the DTA lands at 33 feet per second (10 m/s), the maximum touchdown speed for Orion's design.[83] The drop test program has had several failures in 2007, 2008, and 2010,[84] resulting in new DTV being constructed. The landing parachute set is known as the Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS).[85] With all parachutes functional, a landing speed of 17 mph (27 km/h) was achieved.[86] A third test vehicle, the PCDTV3, was successfully tested in a drop on April 17, 2012.[87]

Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV)


Orion CEV design as of 2009.

The idea for a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) was announced on January 14, 2004, as part of the Vision for Space Exploration after the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.[88] The CEV effectively replaced the conceptual Orbital Space Plane (OSP), a proposed replacement for the Space Shuttle. A design competition was held, and the winner was the proposal from a consortium led by Lockheed Martin. It was later named "Orion" after the stellar constellation and mythical hunter of the same name,[89] and became part of the Constellation program under NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe.

Constellation proposed using the Orion CEV in both crew and cargo variants to support the International Space Station and as a crew vehicle for a return to the Moon. The crew/command module was originally intended to land on solid ground on the US west coast using airbags but later changed to ocean splashdown, while a service module was included for life support and propulsion.[20] With a diameter of 5 meters (16 ft 5 in) as opposed to 3.9 meters (12 ft 10 in), the Orion CEV would have provided 2.5 times greater volume than the Apollo CM.[90] The service module was originally planned to use liquid methane (LCH4) as its fuel, but switched to hypergolic propellants due to the infancy of oxygen/methane-powered rocket technologies and the goal of launching the Orion CEV by 2012.[91][92][93]

The Orion CEV was to be launched on the Ares I rocket to low Earth orbit, where it would rendezvous with the Altair lunar lander launched on a heavy-lift Ares V launch vehicle for lunar missions.

Environmental testing

NASA performed environmental testing of Orion from 2007 to 2011 at the Glenn Research Center Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. The Center's Space Power Facility is the world's largest thermal vacuum chamber.[94]

Launch abort system (LAS) testing

ATK Aerospace successfully completed the first Orion Launch Abort System (LAS) test on November 20, 2008. The LAS motor could provide 500,000 lbf (2,200 kN) of thrust in case an emergency situation should arise on the launch pad or during the first 300,000 feet (91 km) of the rocket's climb to orbit.[95]

On March 2, 2009, a full size, full weight command module mockup (pathfinder) began its journey from the Langley Research Center to the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, for at-gantry launch vehicle assembly training and for LAS testing.[96] On May 10, 2010, NASA successfully executed the LAS PAD-Abort-1 test at White Sands New Mexico, launching a boilerplate (mock-up) Orion capsule to an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet (1,800 m). The test used three solid-fuel rocket motors – a main thrust motor, an attitude control motor and the jettison motor.[97]

Splashdown recovery testing

In 2009, during the Constellation phase of the program, the Post-landing Orion Recovery Test (PORT) was designed to determine and evaluate methods of crew rescue and what kind of motions the astronaut crew could expect after landing, including conditions outside the capsule for the recovery team. The evaluation process supported NASA's design of landing recovery operations including equipment, ship and crew needs.

The PORT Test used a full-scale boilerplate (mock-up) of NASA's Orion crew module and was tested in water under simulated and real weather conditions. Tests began March 23, 2009, with a Navy-built, 18,000-pound (8,200 kg) boilerplate in a test pool. Full sea testing ran April 6–30, 2009, at various locations off the coast of NASA's Kennedy Space Center with media coverage.[98]

Cancellation of Constellation program

Artist's conception of Orion (as then-designed) in lunar orbit.

On May 7, 2009, the Obama administration enlisted the Augustine Commission to perform a full independent review of the ongoing NASA space exploration program. The commission found the then current Constellation Program to be woefully under-budgeted with significant cost overruns, behind schedule by four years or more in several essential components, and unlikely to be capable of meeting any of its scheduled goals.[99][100] As a consequence, the commission recommended a significant re-allocation of goals and resources. As one of the many outcomes based on these recommendations, on October 11, 2010, the Constellation program was canceled, ending development of the Altair, Ares I, and Ares V. The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle survived the cancellation and was transferred to be launched on the Space Launch System.[101]

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV)

The Orion development program was restructured from three different versions of the Orion capsule, each for a different task,[102] to the development of the MPCV as a single version capable of performing multiple tasks.[5] On December 5, 2014, a developmental Orion spacecraft was successfully launched into space and retrieved at sea after splashdown on the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1).[103][104]

Orion splashdown recovery testing

Before EFT-1 in December 2014, several preparatory vehicle recovery tests were performed, which continued the "crawl, walk, run" approach established by PORT. The "crawl" phase was performed August 12–16, 2013, with the Stationary Recovery Test (SRT).[citation needed] The Stationary Recovery Test demonstrated the recovery hardware and techniques that were to be employed for the recovery of the Orion crew module in the protected waters of Naval Station Norfolk utilizing the LPD-17 type USS Arlington as the recovery ship.[105]

The "walk" and "run" phases were performed with the Underway Recovery Test (URT). Also utilizing a LPD 17 class ship, the URT were performed in more realistic sea conditions off the coast of California in early 2014 to prepare the US Navy / NASA team for recovering the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) Orion crew module. The URT tests completed the pre-launch test phase of the Orion recovery system.[citation needed]

EFT-1

Orion Lite

History

Orion Lite is an unofficial name used in the media for a lightweight crew capsule proposed by Bigelow Aerospace in collaboration with Lockheed Martin. It was to be based on the Orion spacecraft that Lockheed Martin was developing for NASA. It would be a lighter, less capable and cheaper version of the full Orion.[106]

The intention of designing Orion Lite would be to provide a stripped-down version of the Orion that would be available for missions to the International Space Station earlier than the more capable Orion, which is designed for longer duration missions to the Moon and Mars.[107]

Bigelow had begun working with Lockheed Martin in 2004. A few years later Bigelow signed a million-dollar contract to develop "an Orion mockup, an Orion Lite",[108] in 2009.[106]

The proposed collaboration between Bigelow and Lockheed Martin on the Orion Lite spacecraft has ended.[when?] Bigelow began work with Boeing on a similar capsule, the CST-100, which has no Orion heritage, and was selected under NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program to transport crew to the ISS.[citation needed]

Design

Orion Lite's primary mission would be to transport crew to the International Space Station, or to private space stations such as the planned B330 from Bigelow Aerospace. While Orion Lite would have the same exterior dimensions as the Orion, there would be no need for the deep space infrastructure present in the Orion configuration. As such, the Orion Lite would be able to support larger crews of around 7 people as the result of greater habitable interior volume and the reduced weight of equipment needed to support an exclusively low-Earth-orbit configuration.[109]

Recovery

In order to reduce the weight of Orion Lite, the more durable heat shield of the Orion would be replaced with a lighter weight heat shield designed to support the lower temperatures of Earth atmospheric re-entry from low Earth orbit. Additionally, the current proposal calls for a mid-air retrieval, wherein another aircraft captures the descending Orion Lite module.[citation needed] To date, such a retrieval method has not been employed for crewed spacecraft, although it has been used with satellites.[110]

MLAS

MLAS was a test flight of the Max Launch Abort System (MLAS).

Ares I-X

Ares I-X was a test flight of the Ares rocket.

Pad Abort-1

Pad Abort-1 (PA-1) was a flight test of the Orion Launch Abort System (LAS).

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Liftoff sequence and space entry of Orion on December 5, 2014

Exploration Flight Test-1

At 7:05 AM EST on December 5, 2014, the Orion capsule was launched atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket for its first test flight, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean about 4.5 hours later. Although it was not crewed, the two-orbit flight was NASA's first launch of a human-rated vehicle since the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet in 2011. Orion reached an altitude of 3,600 mi (5,800 km) and speeds of up to 20,000 mph (8,900 m/s) on a flight that tested Orion's heat shield, parachutes, jettisoning components, and on-board computers.[111] Orion was recovered by USS Anchorage and brought to San Diego, California, for its return to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.[112]

Ascent Abort-2

Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) was a test of the Launch Abort System (LAS) of NASA's Orion spacecraft.

The test followed Orion's Pad Abort-1 test in 2010, and Exploration Flight Test-1 in 2014 in which the capsule first flew in space. It precedes an uncrewed flight of Orion around the Moon as the Artemis 1 mission, and paves the way for human use of Orion in subsequent missions of the Artemis program.

The test flight, which had been subject to several delays during Orion development, took place on July 2, 2019 at 07:00 local time (11:00 UTC). The flight was successful, and the launch abort system performed as designed.[113][114]

Orion development test flights
Mission Patch Launch Crew Launch vehicle Outcome Duration
MLAS
  • 8 July 2009 10:26 UTC
  • Wallops Flight Facility
N/A MLAS Success 57 seconds
Ares I-X
  • 28 October 2009 15:30 UTC
  • Kennedy LC-39B
N/A Ares I-X Success ~6 minutes
Pad Abort-1
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orion_Pad_Abort_1.png
  • 6 May 2010
  • White Sands LC-32E
N/A Orion Launch Abort System (LAS) Success 95 seconds
Exploration Flight Test-1
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exploration_Flight_Test-1_insignia.png
  • 5 December 2014, 12:05 UTC
  • Cape Canaveral SLC-37
N/A
  • Delta IV Heavy
  • (Delta 369)
Success 4 hours 24 minutes
Ascent Abort-2
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ascent_Abort-2.png
  • 2 July 2019, 11:00 UTC
  • Cape Canaveral SLC-46
N/A Orion Abort Test Booster Success 3 minutes 13 seconds
Artist's concept of an astronaut on an EVA taking samples from a captured asteroid; Orion in the background.

Canceled Asteroid Redirect Mission

The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), also known as the Asteroid Retrieval and Utilization (ARU) mission and the Asteroid Initiative, was a space mission proposed by NASA in 2013. The Asteroid Retrieval Robotic Mission (ARRM) spacecraft would rendezvous with a large near-Earth asteroid and use robotic arms with anchoring grippers to retrieve a 4-meter boulder from the asteroid. A secondary objective was to develop the required technology to bring a small near-Earth asteroid into lunar orbit – "the asteroid was a bonus." There, it could be analyzed by the crew of the Orion EM-5 or EM-6 ARCM mission in 2026.[115]

Orion approaching the Gateway during Artemis 3

Upcoming Missions

As of 2019, all Orion missions will be launched on the Space Launch System from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B. All full scale flights will be into deep space with the first uncrewed flight of Artemis 1 entering a lunar orbit and the first crewed flight Artemis 2 going on a lunar flyby. Artemis 1 is planned to launch in 2021; however, in July 2016 a Government Accountability Office report cast doubt on the planned initial launch date and suggested that an early date may be counterproductive to the program.[116]

List of Artemis program missions
Mission Patch Launch date Crew Launch vehicle Duration
Artemis I Exploration Mission-1 patch.png November 2021 N/A SLS Block 1 Crew ~25d
Artemis II August 2023 TBA SLS Block 1 Crew ~10d
Artemis III October 2024 TBA SLS Block 1 Crew ~30d

Proposed

A proposal curated by William H. Gerstenmaier before his 10 July 2019 reassignment[117] suggests four launches the crewed Orion spacecraft and logistical modules aboard the SLS Block 1B to the Gateway between 2024 and 2028.[118][119] The crewed Artemis 4 through 7 would launch yearly between 2025 and 2028,[120] testing in situ resource utilization and nuclear power on the lunar surface with a partially reusable lander. Artemis 7 would deliver in 2028 a crew of four astronauts to a surface lunar outpost known as the Lunar Surface Asset.[120] The Lunar Surface Asset would be launched by an undetermined launcher[120] and would be used for extended crewed lunar surface missions.[120][121][122][123] Another repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope is also possible.[124]

Proposed missions
Mission Launch date Crew Launch vehicle Duration
Artemis IV March 2026 TBA SLS Block 1B Crew ~30d
Artemis V 2026 TBA SLS Block 1B Crew ~30d
Artemis VI 2027 TBA SLS Block 1B Crew ~30d
Artemis VII 2028 TBA SLS Block 1B Crew ~30d
Artist rendering of the Orion CEV docked to a proposed Mars Transfer Vehicle

Potential Mars missions

The Orion capsule is designed to support future missions to send astronauts to Mars, probably to take place in the 2030s. Since the Orion capsule provides only about 2.25 m3 (79 cu ft) of living space per crew member,[125] the use of an additional Deep Space Habitat module featuring propulsion will be needed for long duration missions. The complete spacecraft stack is known as the Deep Space Transport.[126] The habitat module will provide additional space and supplies, as well as facilitate spacecraft maintenance, mission communications, exercise, training, and personal recreation.[127] Some concepts for DSH modules would provide approximately 70.0 m3 (2,472 cu ft) of living space per crew member,[127] though the DSH module is in its early conceptual stage. DSH sizes and configurations may vary slightly, depending on crew and mission needs.[128] The mission may launch in the mid-2030s or late-2030s.[129]

Image Serial Status Flights Time in flight Notes Cat.
GTA Active 0 None Ground Test Article, used in ground tests of the Orion crew module design with mock service modules.[130][131]Commons-logo.svg
Unknown Retired 1 57s Boilerplate used in the July 2009 test launch of the Max Launch Abort System; did not have a service module.
CM/LAS Expended 1 ~6m Boilerplate used in Ares I-X launch; did not have a service module.
Unknown Retired 1 2m, 15s Boilerplate used in Pad Abort-1; did not have a service module.[132][133]Commons-logo.svg
001 Retired 1 4h, 24m, 46s Vehicle used in Exploration Flight Test-1. First Orion to fly in space; did not have a service module.[134][135]Commons-logo.svg
STA Active 0 None Structural Test Article, used in structural testing of the complete Orion spacecraft design.[citation needed]Commons-logo.svg
Unknown Expended 1 3m, 13s Boilerplate used in Ascent Abort-2; did not have a service module. Intentionally destroyed during the flight.[136][137]Commons-logo.svg
002 Active 0 None Vehicle to be used in Artemis 1.[135][138]Commons-logo.svg
003 Under construction 0 None Vehicle to be used in Artemis 2. First Orion planned to carry crew.[138]Commons-logo.svg
004 Under construction 0 None Vehicle to be used in Artemis 3.[138] Some elements shipped to Michoud in Aug 2020.[139]Commons-logo.svg
  Test vehicle  Spaceflight vehicle

  • List of crewed spacecraft – Wikipedia list article
  • NASA Authorization Act of 2010
  • Space capsule – Type of spacecraft
  • Space policy of the Barack Obama administration

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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  137. ^ Sloss, Philip (October 25, 2019). "NASA conducting data deep dive following July's Orion ascent abort test". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020. The Ascent Abort-2 test used a ballistic missile to accelerate a production-design LAS with a Crew Module shaped, highly-instrumented test lab to carefully picked flight condition where a full LAS abort sequence was executed. [...] impact with the water destroyed the test article.
  138. ^ a b c Vuong, Zen (December 3, 2014). "JPL joins NASA's first agency-wide social media event to highlight Thursday's Orion flight test". Pasadena Star-News. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020. Orion 002, 003 and 004 will become lessons that will further humanity in its quest to inhabit Mars and become Earth-independent. [...] "Orion tail number 003 has a special place in my heart," he said. "Four of my astronauts are going to climb into it and have an adventure of a lifetime...
  139. ^ Orion Window Panel Complete for Front-Row View on Artemis Moon Mission

  • Official website
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  • Mission concept for combined Orion/Sample return