NASA reported on the successful testing of the spacecraft Orion rescue system

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has conducted test of the emergency rescue system of the spacecraft Orion, according to Space.com portal. The system is designed for the safe return of the ship away from the launch vehicle in the event of a serious emergency situations at startup. As indicated by the source, in the tests conducted on a test stand of Nortrop Grumman, rescue system engine run for 30 seconds and 31 provided in the thrust kN.

Recall that the reusable spaceship Orion is designed for use in conjunction with a new super-heavy carrier rocket Space Launch System (SLS). His first tests were carried out in December 2014. The launch was carried out by a Boeing Delta IV rocket company, however, the exploitation of the media for manned missions in the future is not planned. In connection with these NASA has long been studying the question of whether there will be suitable for the new ship launches other media in the first place, Atlas V corporation Lockheed Martin.

The combination of the carrier rocket SLS and Orion capsule in the coming years are going to be used for missions to the moon, and in the longer term (somewhere in the 2030's) and for manned missions to Mars. If the specified carrier rocket will not be ready by June 2020, it is likely that to send a ship around the Moon as part of the test mission EM-1 space agency can use a commercial rocket. it is planned to carry out this mission in automatic mode and without crew. And in 2022, the year the agency plans to carry out a manned mission to the natural satellite of the Earth. During the test, the ship's rescue system Engine Orion alternately eight nozzles were launched, located along the circumference of the test layout. Due to their ship in an emergency department from the launch vehicle can carry out orientation in space and to ensure the ship's departure. If the start will take place normally, the rescue system will reset the engine together with the upper stage.

"This trial - the first of the series, the results of which will assess the capabilities of the engine used in future manned flights," - commented in NASA.

The agency also added that last week off the coast of North Carolina has successfully completed testing of the ship stabilization system, which will be necessary when the ship splashdown.

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