Human Analogs Will Be Aboard The Capsule During The Simulated Splashdown

NASA plans to conduct a simulates splashdown test of a mockup Orion space capsule on August 25th with two human analogs on board to collect data.

The test will be conducted at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. It is currently planned for 3:30 p.m. EDT, but due to the nature of the testing, the exact time of the drop could change.

Orion has been undergoing a series of water impact tests in the center's Hydro Impact Basin to help engineers understand how to best protect the crew and spacecraft when they return to Earth from deep space missions.

The test capsule, coupled with the heat shield from Orion's first spaceflight, will swing like a pendulum into Langley's 20-foot-deep basin. Inside the capsule will be two test dummies – one representing a 105-pound woman and the other, a 220-pound man -- outfitted in spacesuits equipped with sensors. These sensors will provide critical data that will help NASA understand the forces crew members could experience when they splash down in the ocean.

Water impact testing is helping NASA evaluate how the Orion spacecraft may behave when landing under its parachutes in different wind conditions and wave heights. During Orion's next flight test, Exploration Mission-1, the uncrewed spacecraft will launch on NASA's Space Launch System rocket, travel more than 40,000 miles beyond the moon, and return at speeds of up to 25,000 mph.

(Image provided with NASA news release)

FMI: www.nasa.gov