NASA begins water drop tests on Orion spacecraft
Story highlights
These tests may appear to be unimportant to a casual eye but in reality, they are absolutely necessary to ensure safety of the astronauts during 'reentry', the part of the space mission when space capsule with astronauts onboard attempts to land on Earth in oceans
NASA began water drop tests on its Orion spacecraft that has been selected as a space vehicle for its ambitious Artemis space missions. The tests began at Langley Research Center's Landing and Impact Research Facility in Hampton, Virginia
Engineers began carrying out tests that will yield vital data that will give more idea about what astronauts will go through when they return to Earth after a space mission.
The tests began earlier this week.
trending now
)
India state election results: PM Modi's BJP scores a sweeping 3/4 in crucial test before 2024 final
)
Indian PM Modi hails four-state election results as victory of 'politics of development'
)
Mizoram Assembly Elections 2023 Results Live Updates: BJP ally MNF confident of securing another term
)
CID star Dinesh Phadnis aka Fredericks is on ventilator support: Report
)
COP28 summit in Dubai makes breakthrough over renewable fuels but there is a catch
)
Telangana election results 2023: BRS concedes defeat, extends congratulations to Congress
)
Kyiv claims Russia shot down Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered
)
Ukraine’s former president alleges was blocked from leaving nation
)
Israel-Hamas war Day 58: Human toll surges, no diplomatic breakthrough since truce collapsed
)
As BJP roars in MP, Scindia fires back at Priyanka Gandhi over 'height' remark
)
Moon getting hydrogen from Solar winds, reveals study of Apollo samples
)
India’s Aadhaar put Japan far behind tech curve, Japanese ‘father of Internet’ admits
)
She was lecturing about women’s dignity ? Trisha gets slammed for calling Ranbir's Animal 'cult' film
)
Philippines earthquake: Tsunami waves of 40 cm reach Japan
)
New York stabbing attack: Four killed in Queens neighbourhood as police shoots suspect dead
"The @NASA_Orion spacecraft is making a big splash! Engineers at @NASA_Langley began a series of four water impact drop tests to better understand what Orion & its crew may experience when they land in the Pacific Ocean after #Artemis missions to the Moon," tweeted Kathy Lueder, head of NASA's human spaceflight program
These tests may appear to be unimportant to a casual eye but in reality, they are absolutely necessary to ensure safety of the astronauts during 'reentry', the part of the space mission when space capsule with astronauts onboard attempts to land on Earth in oceans. The slightest miscalculation during the re-entry has the potential for the space capsule to explode, instantly killing the astronauts.
NASA suffered such a situation in which astronaut Kalpana Chawla was killed along with her crewmates in the year 2000.
About Orion spacecraft
Orion spacecraft is built to take humans "farther than they've ever gone before", says NASA. Orion spacecraft has been chosen to be a space capsule in Artemis missions, which will see first woman landing on the Moon and humans setting foot on Mars.
