Watch NASA test Orion's parachutes by dropping it from a plane

NASA has been putting the Orion capsule's parachute system through rigorous testing for years -- it has to work perfectly if it's meant to ensure a safe landing for the spacefarers onboard, after all. Now, the agency is getting ready for its final test in a series of eight and will broadcast the event live on NASA TV, the agency's website and Orion's Facebook page , starting at 10:15AM Eastern on September 12th.

For Wednesday's event, NASA will drop an Orion test capsule from a C-17 military aircraft at an altitude of over six miles. It will be used to verify that the capsule's 11 parachutes, cannon-like mortars and pyrotechnic devices deploy in sequence during the landing procedure. Each element in the sequence has to work perfectly to be able to slow down the spacecraft for a safe landing.

Back in 2013, Orion engineer Stu Mcclung explained that putting the landing system through various scenarios is necessary, because parachute deployment "is inherently chaotic and not easily predictable." That's why these past years, NASA dropped test versions of Orion into the ocean, tested it in various weather conditions and had it go through several failure scenarios to see if the system works as intended. The Orion capsule was designed to take humanity beyond Low Earth Orbit, into the moon, Mars and farther into outer space. It's scheduled to launch on top of NASA's Space Launch System for the first time next year.

Source: NASA



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2wXq1aD
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me


Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to...
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic...
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs? ...
Read more