Industry Related News: United States – March, 2020:
After a successful environmental test in Ohio, NASA’s Orion Spacecraft has returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to resume the final stage of tests and analysis to prepare the craft for its first Artemis mission. The Orion craft was tested with a variety of thermal cycling equipment, including a massive environmental thermal vacuum chamber, to analyze its ability to function in instances of drastic heat changes as well as different electromagnetic environments. NASA stated that during the thermal cycling tests, the Orion spacecraft experienced temperatures ranging from lows of -250° F to highs of 200° F, and the craft’s communicational systems remained operational by the end of the test.
Nicole Smith, the testing project manager, stated that they “found a lot of efficiencies throughout the thermal vacuum phase, and overcame a few facility equipment challenges early during electromagnetic interference testing.” She went on to explain that they were they able to understand the issues and adjust to these conditions using thermal cycling equipment, and they also completed testing of the Orion ahead of schedule.
With the majority of the testing now complete, the Orion will undergo a final, exhaustive and comprehensive round of thermal cycling and testing of the craft’s propulsion system, outer structure, communication systems, and additional system checks. Once those checks are complete, the craft will be outfitted with an emergency launch abort system and prepared to be safely transferred to NASA. While the NASA’s Space Launch System may encounter delays from a slowdown of testing due to the COVID-19 health issue, the Orion is on schedule to make its debut during the Artemis 1 mission next year.
Spaceflight Now, “Back in Florida, Orion capsule nears readiness for Artemis test flight“ spaceflightnow.com, March 2020, Accessed 30 March 2020.
ABOUT KHOURY INDUSTRIES
Khoury Industries is a worldwide leader in temperature testing equipment for device characterization, thermal cycling equipment, and failure analysis. Khoury Industries designs and manufactures custom thermal testing chambers and microwave thermal testing fixtures used in a variety of industries including: military, space, automotive, medical, research, and communication fields. The Khoury Box and the patented ELI-1000 have quickly become industry favorites as thermal testing devices used to ensure the reliability of industrial and electronic products through prolonged exposure to extreme conditions.
For more information, contact:
Penny Aicardi
Khoury Industries
5 Mechanic Street
Bellingham, MA 02019
[email protected]
