NASA’s Orion spacecraft has it One of the main maneuvers of the maiden voyage: Comes within 81 miles of the lunar surface. This is important for several reasons, not least because it’s a critical test for a transmission.
Flaming flight is one of two maneuvers required for Orion to enter its retrograde orbit around the Moon. Next up is the very retrograde orbital entry fire, which is expected to happen Friday at 4:52 PM ET. Orion will remain in this orbit for about a week to test various systems, including guidance, navigation, communications, power and thermal control. Notably, a long retrograde orbit will bring Orion within 40,000 miles of the Moon. The spacecraft is expected to return to Earth on December 11th.
He will reveal more details about the flyby burn and provide an update on post-launch evaluation of the Space Launch System rocket and Earth Exploration System (including the launch tower) in a Monday press conference at 5 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, engineers were investigating a RAM glitch in the starter, which was fixed by power cycles. Another team investigated an issue that caused one of the service’s eight cellular modules that provide solar power to the crew module to open multiple times without a command. There were no significant effects due to the hiccups.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial staff, regardless of the parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices were correct at time of posting.
“Music nerds go wild. Certified internet addict. Travel lover. Hardcore organizer. “
