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How to Fly NASA's Orion Spacecraft
On NASA's Artemis II test flight, the first crewed mission under the agency's Artemis campaign, astronauts will take the controls of the Orion spacecraft and periodically fly it manually during the flight around the moon and back. The mission provides the first opportunity to ensure the spacecraft operates as designed with humans aboard, ahead of future Artemis missions to the moon's surface.
Key Piloting Tests and Objectives
The first key piloting test, known as the proximity operations demonstration, will take place approximately three hours into the mission once the four crew members—NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen—are safely in space. This demonstration is designed to evaluate the spacecraft's manual handling qualities, allowing the crew to pilot Orion to approach and back away from the detached upper stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Crew members will utilize two controllers during the test: the rotational hand controller (RHC) and the translational hand controller (THC). The RHC is primarily responsible for controlling Orion’s attitude—the direction the spacecraft is pointing—while the THC will move the spacecraft from one location to another.
Maneuvering the Spacecraft
The RHC allows the crew to rotate the spacecraft. For example, if the crew wishes to point Orion's nose to the left, they twist the RHC left; for the nose to point right, the RHC is twisted right. This controller can also pitch up or down, rolling right or left as required. The following table outlines the functions of the controllers:
| Controller Type | Function | Maneuver Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rotational Hand Controller (RHC) | Controls the attitude or direction of the spacecraft | Twist left to point the nose left |
| Translational Hand Controller (THC) | Moves the spacecraft from point to point | Pushing away to move forward or pulling back to reverse |
“If something goes wrong, a crewmember can jump on the controls and help fix the problem. One of our big goals is to check out this spacecraft and have it completely ready for our friends on Artemis III.” – Reid Wiseman
Display Systems and Navigation
To aid in navigation, three display screens provide crucial data and visual feedback to the astronauts during maneuvering. Additionally, a cursor control device allows the crew to interact with the displays without physically touching them, which is especially important during challenging phases such as launch or entry when gravitational forces might hinder movement.
The following table summarizes the display systems used onboard the Orion spacecraft:
| Display System | Purpose | Interaction Method |
|---|---|---|
| Main Display Screens | Show spacecraft data, navigation information, and control settings | Cursor control device and touch interface |
| Cockpit Interface Panel | Houses switches, toggles, and dials for manual control | Physical interaction with switches and dials |
Thruster Operations
Orion is equipped with 24 reaction control system thrusters located on the European-built service module. These thrusters provide small amounts of thrust in various directions to allow for directional control and stabilization. The flight software, developed by Lockheed Martin, manages the firing of these thrusters based on the crew's commands through the controllers.
As noted by Jeffrey Semrau, Lockheed Martin's manual control flight software lead, “We’ll use that information on the handling qualities to upgrade and improve our control systems and facilitate success for future missions.”
Conclusion
The Artemis II mission represents a significant step forward in NASA's deep space exploration efforts. By putting the Orion spacecraft into manual control for the first time, this mission not only tests the spacecraft's capabilities but also prepares it for more complex future missions, including lunar landings and operations on the Gateway lunar space station. The insights gained from the flight testing will be critical for refining Orion's design and enhancing safety and effectiveness for astronauts.
References
For more information, please refer to the following sources:
- NASA's official Artemis page
- Detailed specifications and mission objectives for Artemis II
- Lockheed Martin's Orion spacecraft development
This article is provided by NASA.
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