A full-size test version of Orion’s service module, provided by ESA (European Space Agency), was delivered to Cleveland Hopkins Airport on an Antonov AN-124 Monday. The service module, which provides in-space propulsion, power, air and water for astronauts, was then transported to NASA Glenn Research Center’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, where it will undergo testing to ensure the service module can withstand the trip to space.
“We were thrilled to see the European test article arrive in Cleveland, and we’re looking forward to putting it through the paces at Plum Brook Station,” said Glenn Center Director Jim Free. “This test campaign is an important step in ensuring Orion’s success as it moves toward its first mission.”
Over the next several months, test engineers will use a large vibration table and acoustic chamber at Plum Brook’s Space Power Facility to mimic the shaking and noise the service module will experience during its ascent into space. They also will conduct a solar array deployment test and use pyrotechnics to simulate the shock the service module will experience during separation from the Space Launch System rocket, which will send Orion on its next mission, called Exploration Mission-1, beyond the far side of the moon. The testing allows engineers to validate engineering analysis and make sure flight hardware will perform to NASA’s safety and flight requirements.
Image Credit: NASA
Bridget R. Caswell (Alcyon Technical Services)