Orion Gets More Missions and Shapes Up for the Part
The Orion space probe is getting a few upgrades, including one that will allow it to make it through hellish temperatures with no problem. The probe is getting a new coating shell that will allow it to withstand temperatures of up to and over 2200C.
New Thermal Protection System will Take Orion Through Hell and Back
In preparation for Orion’s EM-1 mission, NASA engineers are active making the Orion space probe challenging sufficient to withstand faster speeds and higher temperature. The point of this new system is to protect the crew members and the internal systems against the hazards of temperature the space probe goes through as it re-enters the atmosphere. The EM-1 mission will have Orion in space for three weeks, and then it’ll re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere safely.
This System Will be Crucial for Future Missions
Orion re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere at about 30,000ft/second in it’s last mission, and for the upcoming EM-1 mission, it’s set to come it at about 36,000ft/second. Though the difference is speed seems slight, the temperatures will actually skyrocket because it combines heat with electrical surface charges. The team behind the new shell is planning to use 180 blocks to build the shell, as opposed to a single monolithic layer.
