Industry Related News: United States – December, 2019:
NASA’s Orion Spacecraft has been reassembled in Ohio and is entering the vacuum chamber this week to begin its rounds of spacecraft thermal testing. The craft is set to undergo a long series of thermal testing to verify that its components can withstand the rigors of spaceflight and the environment of open space and Mars. This is in addition to a thorough round of electromagnetism testing in order to ensure that some of the craft’s more sensitive equipment is prepared to handle the bombardment of cosmic radiation and varying magnetic fields that the spacecraft will likely encounter during its travels. The thermal vacuum testing will take up to two weeks and the spacecraft thermal testing chamber is set to alternate between extreme heat (170°C) and cold (-160°C).
As Nicole Smith, the NASA project manager overseeing Orion’s testing at Plum Brook, stated “all of this testing is to ensure the spacecraft systems operate as they were designed, which will ultimately lead to the success of Artemis I in 2020,” adding that the launch will occur from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once Orion’s thermal vacuum testing has been completed, the spacecraft will make its way back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will begin going through its final preparations for launch in 2020.
Sandusky Register, “Orion preps for final exams“ sanduskyregister.com, December 2019, Accessed 31 December 2019.
ABOUT KHOURY INDUSTRIES
Khoury Industries is a worldwide leader in temperature testing equipment for device characterization, thermal cycling 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.
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Penny Aicardi
Khoury Industries
5 Mechanic Street
Bellingham, MA 02019
[email protected]
