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YUMA, Ariz. –
Throughout this week, NASA is conducting a series of tests on the Orion space capsule one last time in the Yuma region.
The tests aim to evaluate the parachutes to use on the capsule.
In 2006, NASA came to Yuma to begin testing the Orion space capsule.
Yuma Proving Grounds has been the starting point for this new era of exploration for NASA.
Three years later, NASA and Jacobs technology built a hangar near Yuma Airport to continue testing.
The weather and the wide open spaces make Yuma the perfect place to test the Orion.
Orion's parachute system consists of 11 parachutes.
When deployed at a speed of 130 mph, the parachutes allow the crew module to slow down to a landing speed of 17 mph.
The atmosphere of the Earth naturally slows the spacecraft from 20,000 to 325 mph.
however parachutes provide even safer landing speeds of 20 mph or less.
The three main parachutes of Orion are so big that they could cover a football pitch of 10 yards line to 10 yards line.
These parachutes must be large enough and strong enough to withstand heat and other factors.
Orion weighs more than 20,000 pounds, which makes it even more important to test the parachutes several times.
The tests allow analysts to evaluate parachute performance during normal landing sequences.
It is also important that they practice multiple failure scenarios to ensure that astronauts can safely return missions in the deep space.
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