NASA engineers tests Orion spacecraft for water landings

Posted by John McHaleHAMPTON, Va., 23 July 2011. NASA officials began testing Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., to certify the spacecraft for water landings in the new Hydro Impact Basin. The Orion MPCV -- NASA's next manned spacecraft -- will eventually carry U.S. astronauts into space before 2030..NASA engineers dropped a 22,000-pound mock-up of the MPCV into the basin. The test item has a similar in size and shape to the MPCV, but is more rigid, helping it withstand multiple drops. Each test will have has a different drop velocity to replicate the MPCV's possible entry conditions during water landings. The last of the three drop tests being performed to verify the new facility is scheduled for later this month. Testing will resume in September with a slightly modified test article that is more representative of the actual MPCV. The new Hydro Impact Basin measures 115 feet long, 90 feet wide and 20 feet deep. The basin is located at the west end of Langley's Landing and Impact Research Facility, or Gantry, where the Apollo astronauts trained for moon walks. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Orion MPCV program.For images and video of the tests, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/exploration/hib.html. For more more information about the Orion MPCV, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/mpcv.