NASA Tests Future Deep Space Vehicle For Water Landings

RELEASE : 11-242 NASA Tests Future Deep Space Vehicle For Water Landings HAMPTON, Va. -- As NASA closes the chapter on the Space <a href="http://www.couponcatch.net/ "><strong>discount coupon </strong></a> Shuttle Program, a new era of exploration vehicles is beginning to take off. Testing began this month at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., in the new Hydro Impact Basin to certify the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) for water landings. The Orion MPCV will carry astronauts into space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure safe re-entry and landing. Engineers have dropped a 22,000-pound MPCV mockup into the basin. The test item is similar in size and shape to MPCV, but is more rigid so it can withstand multiple drops. Each test has a different drop velocity to represent the MPCV's possible entry conditions during water landings. The last of three drop tests to verify the new facility is scheduled for the end of this month. Testing will resume in September with a slightly modified test article that is more representative of the actual <a href="http://www.couponcatch.net/ "><strong>printable coupon </strong></a> MPCV. The new Hydro Impact Basin is 115 long, 90 feet wide and 20 feet deep. It is located at the west end of Langley's historic Landing and Impact Research Facility, or Gantry, where Apollo astronauts trained for moon walks. For images and video of the tests, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/...ation/hib.html To follow the progress of the Orion MPCV on social networking sites, visit: http://www.facebook.com/nasampcv &nbsp; http://twitter.com/nasampcv &nbsp; http://www.youtube.com/user/nasampcv &nbsp; <a href="http://www.couponcatch.net/ "><strong>store coupon </strong></a> http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasampcv NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Orion MPCV program <a href="http://041823.com/view.php?id=27931"><strong>Boots Shoes: Timberland Women's 56652 Lionshead Low Sport Oxford ...</strong></a> for the agency. For more information about the program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/mpcv &nbsp; - end - text-only version of this release NASA press releases and other information are available automatically by sending a blank e-mail message to hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov. To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send a blank e-mail message to hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov. Back to NASA Newsroom | Back to NASA Homepage