NASA engineers are busy developing hardware equipment for deep space exploration, believed to be a path-breaking and futuristic for all upcoming missions and it is scheduled for tests in 2019, .
Assembling from the components of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch Systems (SLS) rocket were brought from different parts of the country and NASA technicians are developing Ground Systems infrastructure for the scheduled launch tests.
NASA engineers at the Kennedy space station would bolt the heat shield of the Orion crew module. The heat shield has been developed to withstand 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit during the mission's return from near the Moon.
The technicians are planning to include other components like the powerhouse, propulsion lines, avionics and other connection on their arrival. They will test and verify the system of integrated crew and service module and later ship the system to NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio for further testing in 2019.
The US Navy and NASA engineers are working on plans to recover Orion from the sea after the EM-1 test flight. Researchers have scheduled to perform three qualification tests of Orion parachutes in Arizona.
Meanwhile, modules propulsion system will be tested in the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico in the US. The Denver facility of Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor of Orion would be used to test underground pressure, acoustic, pyrotechnic and other testings to help ensure that Orion could sustain vibrations, loads, sounds and blasts during separation events in flight.
Space Launch System (SLS) engineers are working on a 212-foot-tall core stage launch vehicle for the mission. Four RS-25 engines will be used for the mission to produce two million pounds thrust for the launch. The final tests of the launcher known as "green run" test have been planned for 2019 before the historic launch of the mission.
The "green run" will include starting of four rocket engines to drain 700,000 gallons of propellants from the core stage tanks in eight minutes and plans are afoot to finish qualification and functioning tests of the core stage avionics and flight computers before the run. Orion stage adapter will connect the Orion vehicle to the SLS along with 13 small satellites. The SLS testing is also meant for testing liquid hydrogen tank, intertank and a liquid oxygen tank at the Marshal center.
The engineers are working on designs for the Exploration Upper Stage of the mission. The Critical design review will be completed by late 2018 and then the SLS team would embark upon building core stage components and other rocket parts for EM-2.
NASA has been developing modernized spaceport in Florida for the future missions to Mars and Moon. These foundation works could help in developing a sustainable, flexible and reusable infrastructure by 2019 which would give thrust for human expansion to deep space.
