August Space Article-National Scene Magazine

August Space Article-National Scene Magazine, www.nationalscenemagazine.com


Will the New Orion Launch Abort System Be Safer than the Apollo System?

NASA Seems to Think So

Written by: Karen Benardello


The Orion launch abort system, the safest-ever astronaut escape system ever to be built by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), will be installed on the agency’s newest spacecraft. This new system, which is a modernization of the infamous Apollo system, will be similar to the old system, as it will swiftly propel crews capsule away from their spacecraft in case of an emergency on the launch pad or during ascent to orbit.

However, Orion represents a departure from the tower launch abort system used during Apollo launches. The Orion’s designs are based on the technical principles established during the Apollo programs, but also include the latest technology to expand the spacecraft’s operational flexibility.

While some NASA engineers work on the Orion, others will investigate the Max Launch Abort System, or MLAS, an alternate launch abort concept. A primary objective of the MLAS test, which occurred in a simulated pad abort test on July 8 at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Wallops Island, was to design, optimize and test spacecraft. This test, which was unpiloted, was performed by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center as of a potential alternate launch abort system.

MLAS has potential because NASA believes it has aerodynamic performance benefits, weight savings and can be relatively simple in some spacecraft applications. While MLAS could be used for future piloted spacecraft, if needed, it won’t replace the Orion abort system.

But the MLAS can help the Orion Project in several ways, because MLAS is the first attempt to acquire full-scale aero-acoustic data (which is the measurement of potentially harmful noise levels due to the capsule moving through the air at high speeds) from a faired capsule in flight. It also is the first to collect aerodynamic and orientation data.

NASA seems to really be interested in increasing the safety of its astronauts and space shuttles, as each of its centers participated in the agency-wide MLAS effort. Each center did its job by providing engineers, technicians, analysts, designers, mission assurance specialists and/or use of their test facilities. Hopefully, all of this research and testing will prevent another disaster like Apollo 13, the third manned mission to the moon by NASA in 1970. However, it was forced to be aborted after a mid-mission technical malfunction, and was made famous by the 1995 movie starring Tom Hanks.