Orion Spacecraft for Artemis I Mission Successfully Completes Major Testing
March 17, 2020 | Airbus GroupEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis I mission has successfully completed several months of simulated space environment System level testing in the NASA-owned thermal vacuum chamber at Plum Brook Station in Ohio. The tests were conducted in two phases; a 47-day thermal vacuum test and a 14-day electromagnetic compatibility and interference test in ambient conditions which both simulate the conditions the spacecraft will encounter during its voyage to the Moon and back to Earth.
Andreas Hammer, Head of Space Exploration at Airbus, said: "Today marked an important milestone for the Artemis I mission to the Moon. We proved to our customers ESA and NASA that the European Service Module, designed and built by our engineers in Bremen—supported by companies in 10 European countries—meets the requirements to withstand the harsh conditions in space. The Artemis programme will land the first woman and next man on the Moon and bring them back safely to Earth, we are proud to contribute to this endeavour with all our know-how, expertise and passion.”
The engineering teams from Airbus, the European Space Agency (ESA), Lockheed Martin and NASA are pleased with the results of this crucial test, which proves that the spacecraft is suitable to navigate safely through the extreme conditions that it will experience in space.
Orion will be transported back to the Kennedy Space Center to undergo further testing and prepare the spacecraft for integration with the Space Launch System rocket, beginning the next era of exploration.
ESA's European Service Module built by Airbus under an ESA contract, will provide propulsion, power, air and water for the astronauts, as well as thermal control of the entire spacecraft. Artemis I will travel around the Moon and back to Earth. Airbus in Bremen is already building the second Orion Service Module for Artemis II, where astronauts will fly to the Moon and back to Earth for the first time.
Suggested Items
The Doctor’s In: What Electricity Tells Us About Our Health
02/23/2024 | Henry Crandall -- Column: The Doctor's InOne of the earliest lessons parents impart to their children is the importance of staying away from electrical outlets. In fact, it's currently at the top of my babyproofing checklist with my first child. It's a lesson grounded in our natural inclination to assume that our bodies and electricity are incompatible. However, the truth is quite the opposite. Our bodies produce electricity. Electrical impulses form the foundation of our nervous system, and electric potential literally keeps our hearts beating.
Alex Stepinski on High-reliability Fabrication
10/23/2023 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamAlex Stepinski, principal and president of Stepinski Inc., and principal of Smart Process Design, has designed leading-edge PCB facilities and introduced a variety of novel systems and technologies into PCB manufacturing. We asked Alex to share his thoughts on high-reliability fabrication techniques, where manufacturers go wrong, and what fabricators need to do to step up their reliability game.
Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Adjusting to the Supply Chain
10/18/2023 | Real Time with...SMTAIMark Ogen, ASMPT SMT Solutions' marketing manager for the Americas, discusses the unique challenges facing a build up of capacity in electronics manufacturing under these current supply chain conditions. Where is ASMPT putting their development attention for their customers? Find out here.
Real Time with... SMTAI 2023: Adjusting to the Supply Chain
10/18/2023 | Real Time with...SMTAIMark Ogden, ASMPT SMT Solutions' marketing manager for the Americas, discusses the unique challenges facing a build up of capacity in electronics manufacturing under these current supply chain conditions. Where is ASMPT putting their development attention for their customers? Find out here.
Quantic MWD Announces New Line of COTS Oscillators Optimized for Space Applications
05/11/2023 | PRNewswireQuantic MWD (Microwave Dynamics), a business of Quantic Electronics, announced the expansion of their commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components to include a new series of dielectric resonator oscillators (DROs) designed for optimal performance in space applications.