main page newsspace newsnasa tested an alternative rescue system for crew of "orion" spaceship.

NASA tested an alternative rescue system for crew of "Orion" spaceship.. / July 10, 2009 /

American Space Agency tested an alternative system to rescue the crew in case a problem occurs during a missile launch. This was reported in a press release issued at the site of NASA.

As part of the testing engineers Space Agency placed the model of the ship «Orion» full size on a specially designed launcher. The length of the missile was only 10 meters (for comparison, the Russian missile «Soyuz-2» are longer than 50 feet).

During the test, the missile climbed to an altitude of about one and a half kilometers. They work the system MLAS (Max Launch Abort System — The system of lifting the emergency launch of Max), named after a famous officer of Max Fidzheta agency (Max Feget). This system consists of four solid-fueled engines that are mounted to the main capsule.

Branch of the capsule as a result of the test was successful: the decline has stabilized, the parachute opened, and the driving apparatus to the Atlantic Ocean (the disclosure of bad experience with a new parachute the spacecraft has already been). According to experts, this test provided the NASA scientists the large number of experimental data on the dynamics of free fall the new spacecraft.

These specialists American space agency plans to use to improve the basic system rescue crew LAS (Launch Abort System). This system consists of a small «tower», which is mounted on the top of the device «Orion». The tower is fitted with a solid propellant motor, which should take away the capsule from the launch vehicle in case of extraordinary events.

Most recently, representatives of the Air Force United States have questioned the effectiveness of the existing system of LAS. According to them, in the event of a dangerous situation in the capsule would not be time to go far enough to the side. As a result of the missile fragments are likely to lead to total destruction of «Orion».

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