NASA reported on successful trials of the Orion spacecraft rescue system

National Aeronautics Administration andspace exploration (NASA) has tested the Orion spacecraft rescue emergency system, reports the portal Space.com. The system is designed for safe removal of the ship away from the launch vehicle in case of serious emergency situations during launch. According to the source, during the tests conducted on one of the test benches of Nortrop Grumman, the engine of the rescue system was started for 30 seconds and provided thrust of 31 kN.

Recall that the reusable spacecraftOrion is being developed for use with the new Space Launch System (SLS) super-heavy rocket. His first tests were conducted in December 2014. The launch was carried out using the Boeing Delta IV rocket, however, the operation of this carrier for manned missions is not planned in the future. In this regard, NASA has long been studying the question of whether other carriers, first of all, Lockheed Martin Corporation Atlas V, will be suitable for launching a new ship.

Combination of SLS booster and Orion capsulein the coming years they are going to use for flights to the moon, and in the longer term (sometime in the 2030s) and for manned expeditions to Mars. If this launch vehicle is not ready by June 2020, then it is likely that the space agency may use a commercial rocket to send a ship around the moon as part of the EM-1 test mission. This mission is planned to be carried out automatically and without crew. And in 2022, the agency plans to carry out a manned flight to a natural satellite of the Earth.

During the test engine rescue systemOrion spacecraft alternately launched eight nozzles located around the circumference of the test layout. Due to them, the ship in the emergency compartment from the launch vehicle will be able to carry out orientation in space and ensure the ship’s departure. If the start is completed normally, the engine of the rescue system will be reset along with the booster.

"This test is the first of a series, the results of which will assess the possibilities of using the engine in future manned flights," commented NASA.

The agency also added that last week the tests of the ship’s stabilization system, which will be necessary for the landing of the ship, were successfully completed off the coast of North Carolina.

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