Mission: Design a Crew Module | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Design and test an Orion crew module for NASA's ARTEMIS mission to safely carry astronauts back from space.

Key Insights

• 👾 The Orion crew module is crucial for NASA's ARTEMIS missions, providing safety and re-entry capabilities from space.
• 🤢 Engineers conduct drop tests to validate the safety and functionality of crew module components like seats.
• 😤 Teams of space scientists and engineers design, build, and test their own crew modules to meet specific mission requirements.
• 🤒 Test missions involve dropping crew modules from a height of one meter multiple times to ensure astronaut safety.
• 🧑‍🚀 Design constraints like size, opening hatches, and fitting two astronauts are essential for a successful crew module mission.
• 🎨 Calculating the area of crew module designs and staying on budget can add complexity and challenge to the project.

Transcript

Orion. The crew module for NASA's ARTEMIS Missions will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability sustain astronauts during their missions and provide safe re-entry from deep space. Upon returning from the moon, the Orion crew module will enter Earth's atmosphere at around 25,000 miles per hour. And with the aid of parachutes, the... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the primary function of the Orion crew module for NASA's ARTEMIS mission?

The Orion crew module serves to carry astronauts to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain them during missions, and ensure safe re-entry from deep space.

Q: How do engineers test the safety of the crew module seats?

Engineers at NASA's Langley Research Center load sensors into a mock spacecraft to measure forces during splashdown, ensuring astronauts remain secure in specially designed seats.

Q: What materials are needed to design and build a crew module for drop tests?

Teams require materials like tape, scissors, a metric scale, graph paper, paper cups, aluminum foil, and more to construct and improve their crew module designs for testing.

Q: What are the key requirements for a successful crew module design?

A crew module must safely carry two astronauts, have secure seats without adhesive, fit size constraints, include an easily opening hatch, and pass drop tests to ensure astronaut safety.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Orion crew module is essential for NASA's ARTEMIS mission, providing safe transportation, emergency abort capabilities, and re-entry from deep space at high speeds.

• Engineers at NASA's Langley Research Center test the module's components, including seats, through drop tests to ensure astronaut safety.

• Teams of space scientists and engineers design, build, and test their own crew modules for drop tests, meeting specific requirements for astronaut safety.