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Exploration Flight Test-1

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Exploration Flight Test 1
Launch of EFT-1 on December 5, 2014
Mission typeUncrewed test flight
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID2014-077A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.40329
Mission duration4 hours, 24 minutes
Orbits completed2
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeOrion MPCV
ManufacturerLockheed Martin
Start of mission
Launch dateDecember 5, 2014, 12:05 (2014-12-05UTC12:05Z) UTC (07:05 EST)[1][2]
RocketDelta IV Heavy
Launch siteCape Canaveral SLC-37B
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
End of mission
Recovered byUSS Anchorage
Landing dateDecember 5, 2014, 16:29 (2014-12-05UTC16:30Z) UTC
Landing sitePacific Ocean,
640 miles (1,030 km) SSE of San Diego
23°37′N 114°28′W / 23.61°N 114.46°W / 23.61; -114.46 (EFT-1 splashdown)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
Apogee altitude5,800 kilometres (3,604 mi)
Beyond Low Earth Orbit Program
EM-1 →

Exploration Flight Test 1 or EFT-1 (previously known as Orion Flight Test 1 or OFT-1) was the first test flight of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. Without a crew, it was launched on December 5, 2014, at 12:05 UTC (7:05 am EST), by a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The mission was a four-hour, two-orbit test of the Orion crew module featuring a high apogee on the second orbit and concluding with a high-energy reentry at around 20,000 miles per hour (32,000 km/h; 8,900 m/s).[3] This mission design corresponds to the Apollo 4 mission of 1967, which validated the Apollo flight control system and heat shield at re-entry conditions planned for the return from lunar missions.

NASA heavily promoted the mission, collaborating with Sesame Street and its characters to educate children about the flight test and the Orion spacecraft.[4]

Objectives

The flight was intended to test various Orion systems, including separation events, avionics, heat shielding, parachutes, and recovery operations prior to its debut launch aboard the Space Launch System, currently scheduled for no later than November 2018.[5][6]

Vehicle assembly

EFT-1 Orion was built by Lockheed Martin.[7] On June 22, 2012, the final welds of the EFT-1 Orion were completed at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana.[7] It was then transported to Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building, where the remainder of the spacecraft was completed.[8] The Delta IV rocket was put in a vertical position on October 1, 2014, and Orion was mated with the vehicle on November 11.[9][10][11]

Flight

Mission diagram
Rendering of Orion capsule and Delta IV upper-stage during EFT-1
Earth seen from the EFT-1 Orion spacecraft

The four and a half hour flight took the Orion spacecraft on two orbits of Earth. Peak altitude was approximately 5,800 kilometres (3,600 mi). The high altitude allowed the spacecraft to reach reentry speeds of up to 20,000 mph (32,000 km/h; 8,900 m/s), which exposed the heat shield to temperatures up to around 4,000 °F (2,200 °C).[3][6]

During the flight, the crew module, a structural representation of the service module, a partial launch abort system containing only the jettison motor, and Orion-to-stage adapter would be evaluated.[6] The spacecraft remained attached to the Delta IV's upper stage until reentry began and relied on internal batteries for power rather than photovoltaic arrays, which were not contained in the structural representation.[12] Data gathered from the test flight will be analyzed by the Critical Design Review (CDR) in April 2015.[13]

Time Event
L-6:00:00 Orion powered on, mobile service tower retracts. Fueling of Delta IV Heavy begins
0:00:00 Launch window opens (7:05 a.m. EST, 12:05 UTC). EFT-1 launches.
0:01:23 Max Q
0:01:23 Reach Mach 1
0:03:56 Booster separation
0:05:30 First Stage MECO (Main Engine Cut Off)
0:05:33 First Stage separation
0:05:49 Second Stage ignition #1
0:06:15 Structural representation of service module fairing jettison
0:06:20 Launch Abort System jettison
0:17:39 SECO #1 (Second Engine Cut Off), Orion begins first orbit
1:55:26 Orion completes first orbit, Second stage ignition #2
2:00:09 SECO #2 (Second Engine Cut Off)
2:05:00 Enter first high radiation period
2:20:00 Leave first high radiation period
2:40:00 Reaction control system (RCS) activation
3:05:00 Reach peak altitude (5,800 kilometers/3,600 miles)
3:23:41 Orion separates from service module and second stage, second stage performs disposal burn
3:57:00 Orion positions for reentry
4:13:41 Entry interface
4:20:22 Forward bay cover jettisons, parachute deployment begins (two drogues, three mains)
4:24:46 Splashdown

After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, crews recovered the EFT-1 Orion crew vehicle and will outfit the capsule for an ascent abort test in 2017.[15]

Launch attempts

Attempt Planned Result Turnaround Reason Decision point Weather go (%) Notes
1 4 Dec 2014, 7:05:00 am Hold — Fouled Range A boat entered the launch range.
2 4 Dec 2014, 7:17:00 am Hold 0 days 0 hours 12 minutes Weather Gust wind excess speed limit. (21 knots)
3 4 Dec 2014, 7:55:00 am Hold 0 days 0 hours 38 minutes Weather Gust wind excess speed limit. (21 knots)
4 4 Dec 2014, 8:26:00 am Hold 0 days 0 hours 31 minutes Technical  ​(T-00:03:09) A fuel fill and drain valve did not close.
5 4 Dec 2014, 9:44:00 am Scrubbed 0 days 1 hour 18 minutes Technical 24-hour recycle.
6 5 Dec 2014, 7:05:00 am Success 0 days 21 hours 21 minutes
  • First weld on the EFT-1 Orion structure, September 2011
    First weld on the EFT-1 Orion structure, September 2011
  • Orion structure after final weld, June 2012
    Orion structure after final weld, June 2012
  • Orion's Service Module prior to encapsulation, December 2013
    Orion's Service Module prior to encapsulation, December 2013
  • EFT-1 Orion Weight and Center of Gravity Test, June 2014
    EFT-1 Orion Weight and Center of Gravity Test, June 2014
  • EFT-1 Orion back shell tile installation, September 2014
    EFT-1 Orion back shell tile installation, September 2014
  • Completed EFT-1 Orion, September 2014
    Completed EFT-1 Orion, September 2014
  • EFT-1 Orion in fairing and with LES, October 2014
    EFT-1 Orion in fairing and with LES, October 2014
  • EFT-1 Orion on its Delta IV Heavy, November 2014
    EFT-1 Orion on its Delta IV Heavy, November 2014
  • The EFT-1 Orion before splashdown, 5 December 2014
    The EFT-1 Orion before splashdown, 5 December 2014
  • Recovery of the EFT-1 Orion, 5 December 2014
    Recovery of the EFT-1 Orion, 5 December 2014

References

  1. ^ Rhian, Jason (March 14, 2014). "NASA's EFT-1 Mission Slips to December". SpaceFlight Insider. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  2. ^ Siceloff, Steven (December 5, 2014). "LIFTOFF! Orion Begins New Era in Space Exploration!". Orion. NASA. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Bergin, Chris (November 14, 2011). "EFT-1 Orion Receives Hatch Door—Denver Orion Ready for Modal Testing". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  4. ^ NASA (November 24, 2014). "Sesame Street Characters 'On Board' as NASA Counts Down to Orion's Test Flight". NASA.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  5. ^ Chris Bergin (October 25, 2011). "SLS Flexibility: Exploration roadmap focus taking center stage". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c "Orion First Flight Test – NASA Facts" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Clark, Stephen (June 26, 2012). "Space-bound Orion capsule to arrive in Florida next week". SpaceFlightNow. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  8. ^ "NASA Unveils Orion During Ceremony". NASA. July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
  9. ^ "NASA’s Orion Spacecraft, Rocket Move Closer to First Flight" NASA. Retrieved: 5 October 2014.
  10. ^ "Orion Spacecraft Complete" NASA. Retrieved: 30 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Orion Arrives at Launch Pad" NASA. Retrieved: 12 November 2014.
  12. ^ "OFT-1: NASA gearing up for Orion's 2013 debut via Delta IV Heavy". August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  13. ^ "EFT-1 September, 2014 launch date "paced" by the Delta IV-H". nasaspaceflight.com.
  14. ^ NASA. "Orion Exploration Flight Test-1" (PDF). Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  15. ^ Stephen Clark (November 23, 2011). "Cracks discovered in Orion capsule's pressure shell". Spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
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