FABRICATION OF PRE-GTA WATER IMPACT TEST ARTICLE HEAT SHIELD DOMES NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER HAS A REQUI…

Public award description

FABRICATION OF PRE-GTA WATER IMPACT TEST ARTICLE HEAT SHIELD DOMES NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER HAS A REQUIREMENT FOR PRE-GTA WATER IMPACT TEST ARTICLE HEAT SHIELD DOMES IN SUPPORT OF THE ORION STRUCTURAL PASSIVE LANDING ATTENUATION FOR SURVIVABILITY OF HUMAN CREW (SPLASH) PROJECT. SIMILAR TO THE APOLLO SPACECRAFT, BUT LARGER IN SIZE, THE ORION CREW MODULE HAS A CONE-SHAPED CREW MODULE THAT IS PROTECTED FROM EARTH REENTRY HEATING BY A DISH-SHAPED MAIN HEAT SHIELD. AFTER COMPLETING ITS MISSION IN SPACE, THE ORION CREW MODULE WILL LAND IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, POST EARTH REENTRY, VERY SIMILAR TO THE APOLLO CREW MODULE; WHERE THE HEAT SHIELD WILL BE THE PRIMARY LOAD PATH FOR WATER IMPACT LOADS. THE ORION PROGRAM WILL BE CONDUCTING WATER IMPACT TESTING OF A CREW MODULE SIMULATOR DEEMED BOILERPLATE TO AID IN THE CORRELATION AND VERIFICATION OF ANALYTICAL MODELS USED IN THE STRUCTURAL SIZING OF THE ORION CREW MODULE FLIGHT-DESIGN. THE CREW MODULE BOILERPLATE HEAT SHIELD WILL NOT NEED TO BE CAPABLE OF SURVIVING REENTRY HEATING, BUT MUST DUPLICATE THE GEOMETRY OF THE FLIGHT CREW MODULE FOR HYDRODYNAMIC REASONS AND PERFORM STRUCTURALLY WHEN SUBJECTED TO ORION CREW MODULE WATER IMPACT ENVIRONMENTS.