As NASA gets ready for the Artemis II mission, the Orion spacecraft is undergoing strict testing at Kennedy Space Center's updated altitude chamber. The testing assesses electromagnetic compatibility and simulates high-altitude conditions, which is important for ensuring Orion's readiness for lunar exploration.
NASA is getting the Orion spacecraft ready for the Artemis II mission by carrying out thorough tests at Kennedy Space Center's upgraded altitude chamber.
Before the Orion spacecraft is placed atop NASA's powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the mission, engineers will subject it to a series of rigorous tests to ensure it's prepared for lunar flight. The altitude chamber at Kennedy Space Center where the testing will occur has been significantly upgraded in preparation for this. Artemis II Before the mission, engineers will put the Orion spacecraft through a series of demanding tests to ensure it's ready for lunar flight. In preparation for testing, teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida have made significant upgrades to the altitude chamber.
Testing Facilities and Procedures
Several of the tests happen inside one of two altitude chambers in the high bay of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy. These tests, which started on April 10, include checking out electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility, which show the spacecraft's capabilities when exposed to internally and externally generated electromagnetic energy and confirm that all systems perform as expected during the mission.
On April 4, 2024, a team places the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.
In preparation for the tests, the west altitude chamber was upgraded to test the spacecraft in a vacuum environment that simulates an altitude of up to 250,000 feet. These upgrades re-activated altitude chamber testing capabilities for the Orion spacecraft at Kennedy. Previous vacuum testing on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis I took place at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. Teams also installed a 30-ton crane in the O&C to lift and lower the Orion crew and service module stack into the chamber, lift and lower the chamber’s lid, and move the spacecraft across the high bay.
Significant Testing Milestones
On Thursday, April 4, teams loaded the Artemis II spacecraft into the altitude chamber. This event marks the first time, since the Apollo testing, that a spacecraft designed for human exploration of space has entered the chamber for testing. After testing is complete, the spacecraft will return to the Final Assembly and Systems Testing, or FAST, cell in the O&C for further work. Later this summer, teams will lift Orion back into the altitude chamber to conduct a test that simulates as close as possible the conditions in the vacuum of deep space.
On April 4, 2024, a team lifts the Artemis II Orion spacecraft into a vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will undergo electromagnetic compatibility and interference testing.
Originally, the altitude chambers were used to test systems on the lunar and command modules during the Apollo Program. Each chamber has a diameter of 33 feet and a height of 44 feet. They were made to simulate the vacuum of up to 200,000 feet in a deep space environment. Both chambers were designed for astronaut crews to operate flight systems during tests.
View of the Altitude Chambers inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: ACI/Penny Rogo Bailes
After Apollo, the chambers were used to test pressurized modules delivered by the Shuttle program for the International Space Station for leaks.
The west chamber received several upgrades, including a new oxygen deficiency monitoring system, a new airflow system, and new LED lights. Equipment from the Apollo days was removed, and a pressure control system was added for precise pressure control. Two new pumps were installed to create a vacuum. New guardrails and service platforms also replaced older ones inside the chamber.
View of the Altitude Chambers inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: ACI/Penny Rogo Bailes
An improved control room now overlooks the upgraded chamber. It contains workstations and communication equipment. The chamber control and monitoring system was also upgraded to handle operation of all the remotely controlled hardware and subsystems used in vacuum testing.
Project Management and Future Missions
Marie Reed, West Altitude Chamber Reactivation Project Manager, commented, “It was an amazing opportunity to lead a diverse and exceptional team to re-activate a capability for testing the NASA’s next generation spacecraft that will carry humans back to the Moon. The team of more than 70 aerospace professionals, included individuals from NASA, Lockheed Martin, Artic Slope Research Corps, Jacobs Engineering, and every discipline area imaginable. This project required long hours of dedication and exceptional coordination to enable the successful turn-around and activation in time for this Artemis II spacecraft testing.”
Team leads from the west altitude chamber reactivation project are pictured in Artemis gear standing in front of the upgraded vacuum chamber inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The team for this project included more than 70 aerospace professionals who received a NASA Silver Group Achievement Award for their efforts. Pictured from left to right: Victor Allpiste (Power & Lighting Systems Electrical Lead) Raymond T. Francois (TQCM System Lead / Mechanical Engineer) Marie Reed (Project Manager), Alfredo Urbina (Controls / Electrical Systems Lead), and Tim Saunders (Mechanical Systems Lead). Credit: NASA
NASA’s Artemis II mission will carry four astronauts aboard the agency’s Orion spacecraft on an approximately 10-day test flight around the Moon and back to Earth, the first crewed flight under Artemis that will test Orion’s life support systems ahead of future missions. Under the Artemis campaign, NASA will return humanity to the lunar surface, this time sending humans to explore the lunar South Pole region.
