NASA Abort Test July 2nd

RocketPro said:

No need to waste an operational test unit for Orion for this test. It’s a judicial use of taxpayer funds.

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Apollo testing made use of boilerplate capsules for most of the parachute testing. Three of the four Little Joe-II's, and the two Pad Abort tests, those were boilerplate capsules, a real spacecraft was only used for the last test.

If you want to make the judicial use of taxpayer funds argument, please explain the MLAS boondoggle (at least $20 million for the one flight of a system they KNEW by that point was never going to be used) where they "tested a concept for a unique abort system", that did NOT actually test the unique abort system, but DID have parachutes out the yin-yang.



Also, if there is ever a chute failure with a crew onboard, remember the "saving of funds".

Anyway, here's a cool picture

RocketPro said:

It’s a judicial use of taxpayer funds.

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I wish I could agree with this. I see this entire program as a vendor-driven pork barrel dead end. I doubt this capsule will ever carry anyone anywhere.

Sorry, that's what it looks like to me...

RocketPro said:

No need to waste an operational test unit for Orion for this test. It’s a judicial use of taxpayer funds.

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My comment was only about the test, not about the program. The program certainly has it’s problems, and nobody is more frustrated than my friends at MSFC that get twisted by the political winds that drive budgets and requirements back and forth.

I respectfully disagree with George and others who believe that parachutes should be tested on every flight. The test configuration is determined by the objectives and the parachute system for Orion has been flight qualified through a rigorous testing program including an orbital flight test. Adding that to this test would have added risk and complexity without significant added value.

Interesting comment, Gus. 9 years from the first abort test to the second abort test, then on the moon in 5 years? THAT sounds like the potential for a rerun of Apollo 1