Advertisement

In Photos: NASA’s first launch of Orion spacecraft and what to expect

Orion's crew module begins its Earth reentry. NASA

TORONTO – On Dec. 4, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket manned with a Lockheed Martin-built crew capsule, called Orion, is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This is the ship of the future, destined to get humans to Mars or an asteroid, a goal set out by President Barack Obama’s administration in 2010.

Despite the very public failures of Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Antares rocket and Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo last week, Orion’s program manager, Mark Geyer, said NASA doesn’t have any concerns.

The unmanned Orion spacecraft will endure its Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) where key components and critical systems will be tested before placing humans in a test flight.

“EFT-1 is absolutely the biggest thing that this agency’s going to do this year,” said Bill Hill, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development in a press conference Thursday.

Story continues below advertisement

“This is our first step in our journey to Mars. We’re looking forward to exploring.”

Here’s what you can expect:

On Nov. 11, Orion will be rolled out to the launch pad where the ULA rocket sits. Orion will be fitted atop the rocket.

Orion sits atop United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral in this artist’s concept. NASA

The launch of Orion is set for 7:05 a.m. on Dec. 4 with a two-hour and thirty-five minute launch window. Should there be a launch scrub — due to weather at the launch or recovery site (off the coast of Baja California) or hardware issues — NASA will attempt Dec. 5 or 6.

Six hours before launch, all systems will be powered up. The go/no-go for launch is a joint effort between Lockheed Martin, ULA and NASA.

The Dec. 4 launch is set to take place on Dec. 4 at 7:05 a.m. EST. There is a two-hour and thirty-five minute launch window. NASA

If the launch is successful, Orion will undergo a four-and-a-half-hour mission.

Story continues below advertisement

Four minutes after launch, the upper stage and service module farings — or casing — will be jettisoned.

There are 17 separation events during the launch. Here, an artist illustrates the jettison of the service module farings. NASA

Very shortly after the service module farings are jettisoned, the launch abort system will separate. For this test flight, the launch abort system isn’t fully assembled since there will be no crew on board.

After the farings separate, the launch abort system jettisons. NASA

The crew module farings will also be jettisoned and 17 minutes after launch, the spacecraft will begin its first — low-Earth — orbit. At its farthest, it will be slightly more than 1,000 km from Earth.

Story continues below advertisement
Seventeen minutes into the mission, Orion will be inserted into its first, low-Earth orbit. NASA

An hour and twenty minutes into its first orbit, a second stage burn will take place taking Orion roughly 5,800 km from Earth into the Van Allen Belt — an area of intense radiation. This is more than 15 times the distance of the International Space Station from Earth. This will allow scientists to study the effect of radiation on its instruments.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

If you were to look out Orion’s window, Earth would appear as a two metre disk held at arm’s length.

One hour and fifty-five minutes into the launch, a second stage two rocket burn puts Orion into an orbit. NASA

Now it’s time for Orion to come home. More than four hours after launch, the crew module system separates from the service module.

Story continues below advertisement
Once its second orbit of Earth is complete, the crew module separates from the service module. NASA

Just like back in NASA’s Apollo days, the crew module begins its fiery descent through Earth’s atmosphere.

Orion’s crew module begins its Earth re-entry. NASA

Orion now reaches a speed of 32,000 km/h and temperatures of roughly 2,200 C. The heat shield responsible for keeping the spacecraft — and its intended crew — safe, is roughly four centimetres thick.

Story continues below advertisement
A NASA visualization of the Orion crew vehicle entering the atmosphere reaching speeds of 32,000 km/h and a temperature of 2,200 C. NASA

And, just like the Apollo days, the Orion spacecraft will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, just off Baja California.  Geyer said that December is a particularly “rough” month for wave heights in that location of the Pacific, so they are uncertain as to whether or not the recovery crew will be dispatched immediately or not.

Once it re-enters the atmosphere a total of 11 parachutes will slow the spacecraft down. NASA

If waves are relatively calm, a crew will be sent in to examine Orion. They will take high-definition photos and videos in order to collect data for engineers.

Story continues below advertisement
Crews that will have been waiting, will be sent out to examine the craft, taking hi-definition videos and photos of the heat shield. NASA

Orion will then be loaded into a welldeck aboard a ship where it can be safely returned.

The crew module will then be retrieved using a welldeck aboard a ship. NASA

“This is just the first of what will be a long line of exploration missions beyond low earth orbit, and in a few years we will be sending our astronauts to destinations humans have never experienced,” said Hill.

Story continues below advertisement

For continued coverage of the historic Orion launch, follow me here at Global News.

Sponsored content

AdChoices