What Orion's First Flight Will Test

In less than half a year's time, the Orion spacecraft will go through its first of two flight tests before its 2021 mission. As the craft comes closer to completion, NASA has revealed just what they hope to learn from this first crucial test.

Most notably, NASA plans to test the Orion's innovative Launch Abort System (LAS).  This system has been designed by NASA engineers who claim that it will make the Orion "the safest spacecraft ever built," according to a recent press release.

In the event of an emergency during launch, the LAS can activate and pull the crew module away from the launch pad, and effectively out of harm's way, in milliseconds.

During December's Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1), the LAS will be attached to the spacecraft. However, according to NASA, because there will be no crew on board the crew module, the LAS won't activate.

Even so, the test will ensure that the LAS flawlessly jettisons away from the crew module six minutes and 20 seconds after lift-off. If this does not occur, the LAS will be blocking the hatch from where the Orion deploys its landing parachutes.

These parachutes will also be focused on during the EFT-1, as the new model - designed to carry a heavy payload  - must perform flawlessly for a safe landing.

"Each parachute must deploy at the exact right time, open to the exact right percentages in the exact right stages, and be cut away exactly as planned," explained a NASA representative, adding that "no test on Earth can exactly simulate what the spacecraft will really experience on its return from space."

Heat shielding and radiation protection of the craft itself will also be tested, with sensors placed inside the crew module ensuring that the capsule is safe for space travel.

Lastly, the state-of-the-art computer Orion carries will be tested during mid-flight.

"Orion's computer is the first of its kind to be flown in space," according to NASA, "But to operate in space, it has to be able to handle extreme heat and cold, heavy radiation and the intense vibrations of launches, aborts and landings."

The computer can process commands 25 time faster than any computer currently in space. However, this December will be the true test of its capabilities, alongside countless other aspects of the Orion spacecraft.