NASA begins water drop test on Orion spacecraft prior to Artemis Moon mission; watch

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has conducted a water impact drop tests on NASA's Orion spacecraft. The tests were conducted before the Orion landing in the Pacific ocean after Artemis missions to the moon. The tests were carried out at Langley's Landing and Impact Research Facility Hydro Impact Basin.

Water drop test on Orion spacecraft 

NASA had previously carried out a series of tests at the basin but during this test, a new configuration was used, according to the website of NASA. The test was conducted on a crew module that represented the spacecraft's final design. The information collected from the water impact tests will be part of the formal qualification test program that would fulfill structural design before Artemis II.

NASA's Space Launch System rocket will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a test flight around the Moon and back to Earth. This would help for future Artemis missions with astronauts. NASA will launch an SLS and an Orion together on two flight tests around the Moon to check the performance and communication capabilities. The first mission is known as Artemis I is going on schedule in 2021 without astronauts and Artemis II will fly with the crew in 2023. The data will help in developing the computer models for loads and structures before the Artemis II flight test. Artemis II will carry astronauts around the Moon and back. 

The agency’s powerful new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), and the Orion spacecraft are closer than ever to their first integrated launch. 

NASA will land the first woman and the next man on the Moon by 2024 under the Artemis program. Engineers started testing the rough model of Orion in 2011. In 2016, the engineers tested a more refined "ground test article" to understand the crew module's force during a water landing. Then, engineers made changes to the design based on test results. Now, the final design of the Orion spacecraft was tested on March 27.

NASA is working to land the first woman and next man on the lunar surface in 2024, and establishing a sustained presence by the end of the decade. The agency will leverage its Artemis experience and technologies to prepare for humanity’s next giant leap that is sending astronauts to Mars.

(Image Credits: Kathy Leuders Twitter)