Even the Orion Spaceship Wants to Have Fun In the Pool

Lockheed Martin ’s Orion multi - purpose crew fomite ( MPCV ) is still many years and age away from realize the cold vacuity of blank space . Until then , it ’ll see the insensate weewee of NASA ’s Langley examination consortium , getting repeatedlydunked at 55 MPH .

The crane flinging mechanism is intend to guarantee an literal splashdown would n’t rend the Orion craftiness apart — a very of import test to get out of the means ! The splish splash test above was the third in its series , simulating a disaster scenario with a 50 % probability of flipping upside down . Which is definitely not the elbow room you desire to fall to Earth . [ In FocusandNASA ]

Photo : Sean Smith / NASA