The mission was a four-hour, two-orbit test of the Orion crew module featuring a high apogee on the second orbit and concluding with a high-energy reentry at around 8.9 kilometers per second (20,000 mph).[4] This mission design corresponds to the Apollo 2/3 missions of 1966, which validated the Apollo flight control system and heat shield at re-entry conditions planned for the return from lunar missions.
NASA heavily promoted the mission, collaborating with Sesame Street and its characters to educate children about the flight test and the Orion spacecraft.[5]
Mission diagramEFT-1Rendering of Orion capsule and Delta IV upper-stage during EFT-1Earth seen from the EFT-1 Orion spacecraft
The four-and-a-half-hour flight took the Orion spacecraft on two orbits of Earth. Peak altitude was approximately 5,800 kilometres (3,600 mi). The high altitude allowed the spacecraft to reach reentry speeds of up to 8.9 km/s (20,000 mph), which exposed the heat shield to temperatures up to around 2,200 °C (4,000 °F).[4][12]
During the flight, the crew module, a structural representation of the service module, a partial launch abort system containing only the jettison motor, and Orion-to-stage adapter were evaluated.[12] The spacecraft remained attached to the dummy service module on the Delta IV's upper stage until re-entry began and relied on internal batteries for power rather than photovoltaic arrays, which were not contained in the structural representation.[13] Data gathered from the test flight were analyzed by the critical design review (CDR) in April 2015.[14]
After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, crews from the USS Anchorage recovered the EFT-1 Orion crew vehicle. Plans were later made to outfit the capsule for an ascent abort test in 2017.[16]
EFT-1 Orion Weight and Center of Gravity Test, June 2014
EFT-1 Orion back shell tile installation, September 2014
Completed EFT-1 Orion, September 2014
EFT-1 Orion in fairing and with LES, October 2014
EFT-1 Orion on its Delta IV Heavy, November 2014
The EFT-1 Orion before splashdown, 5 December 2014
Recovery of the EFT-1 Orion by the USS Anchorage, 5 December 2014
Recovery of Orion capsule
Recovery of Orion capsule
References
^Rhian, Jason (March 14, 2014). "NASA's EFT-1 Mission Slips to December". SpaceFlight Insider. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
^Siceloff, Steven (December 5, 2014). "LIFTOFF! Orion Begins New Era in Space Exploration!". Orion. NASA. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
^Foust, Jeff (December 5, 2014). "Delta 4 Heavy Launches Orion on Second Attempt". SpaceNews. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
^ a bBergin, Chris (November 14, 2011). "EFT-1 Orion Receives Hatch Door—Denver Orion Ready for Modal Testing". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
^NASA (November 24, 2014). "Sesame Street Characters 'On Board' as NASA Counts Down to Orion's Test Flight". NASA.gov. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
^"NASA: Artemis I". NASA. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
^ a bClark, Stephen (June 26, 2012). "Space-bound Orion capsule to arrive in Florida next week". SpaceFlightNow. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
^"NASA Unveils Orion During Ceremony". NASA. July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
^"NASA’s Orion Spacecraft, Rocket Move Closer to First Flight" NASA. Retrieved: 5 October 2014.
^"Orion Spacecraft Complete" Archived October 31, 2014, at the Wayback MachineNASA. Retrieved: 30 October 2014.
^"Orion Arrives at Launch Pad" Archived November 12, 2020, at the Wayback MachineNASA. Retrieved: 12 November 2014.
^ a b"Orion First Flight Test – NASA Facts" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
^"OFT-1: NASA gearing up for Orion's 2013 debut via Delta IV Heavy". August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
^"EFT-1 September, 2014 launch date "paced" by the Delta IV-H". nasaspaceflight.com. November 7, 2012.
^NASA. "Orion Exploration Flight Test-1" (PDF). Retrieved December 15, 2014.
^Stephen Clark (November 23, 2011). "Cracks discovered in Orion capsule's pressure shell". Spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
^"Orion EFT-1 flown spacecraft joins display in 'NASA Now' exhibit | collectSPACE". collectSPACE.com. Retrieved September 21, 2020.