Testing will begin shortly on the Orion Crew Module to evaluate a new acoustic technology called direct field acoustic (DFA) testing, determining whether it can produce sufficient energy to simulate acoustic loads the module will experience on launch and ascent on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Post-flight analysis of select components will also be undertaken after final decontamination.
The Orion Crew Module recently arrived at Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems Company headquarters in Colorado, USA, following a 3,600-mile trip into space on Exploration Flight Test-1.
Beginning in 2016, customized, high-energy speakers (enough to fill three tractor-trailers) configured in a circle around the vehicle, will use a specific algorithm to control the amount of energy reaching it. The method is believed to provide an accurate representation of SLS launch and ascent acoustic loads, and will be used to evaluate Orion’s ability to withstand those loads during its next mission, Exploration Mission-1.
September 11, 2015
