Q&A: AA-2 Crew Module Returns
2018-10-16
Ascent Abort-2 is a full-stress test of Orion’s launch abort system that will demonstrate the system can very quickly get astronauts away from an emergency during ascent. After completing acoustic testing for the flight at NASA's Plum Brook Station in August, the AA-2 Crew Module returned to Johnson in September to be mated with the separation ring. After being mated, the crew module will travel to Kennedy for testing, integration, and prepration for flight.
We caught up with AA-2 Crew Module Deputy Manager Jenny Devolites for an update on all things AA-2.
NASA: The AA-2 crew module left Johnson on Aug. 13, marking the completion of the assembly and outfitting stage. Were there any notable successes or challenges during that outfitting process?
JENNY DEVOLITES: Absolutely - many notable successes and challenges! One challenge was helping the team balance workload. With a tight schedule and a very motivated, enthusiastic team of people willing to work crazy long hours, we sometimes had to step in and find ways to have them work less, in order to keep them from getting too burned out. We had a number of technical and schedule challenges to work through, but the team got in a good rhythm of communicating and keeping progress moving forward. Getting the crew module through assembly, integration, and powered testing was a huge success for this multi-center, multi-discipline team!
After the outfitting, the crew module was transferred to Plum Brook Station for testing in the Reverberant Acoustic Test Facility. What did that testing teach us?
The main objective for the acoustic test was to measure how the AA-2 Crew Module structure responds to the acoustic energy that it will experience when the abort motor fires during the flight test. This will allow us to better understand what the mainline Orion vehicle would experience during an abort.
When did the AA-2 crew module return to Johnson?
It arrived back at Johnson Sunday, Sept. 9.
Now that the AA-2 crew module has returned from Plum Brook Station what is next?
We are getting it ready to mate it to the Separation Ring before we ship the assembled system short stack to Kennedy. The Separation Ring mimics the top three feet of the Orion Service Module, which is being built by the European Space Agency. Our Separation Ring attaches directly to the top of the booster rocket that will get us up to our abort flight test conditions.
Once the test article ships to Kennedy, the JSC team isn’t done, right? What will the team being doing after it heads to Florida?
Going with it! Our engineering team will also serve as the integrated test team, as well as the flight operations team. We expect to be spending quite a bit of time from December through launch in Florida, as the integrated Crew Module and Separation Ring get mated to the other flight elements: the Launch Abort System and the Booster.
And the CSR team members that have been training as flight controllers will travel down to Kennedy for the launch?
Yes!
How has that training been going so far?
We have been training for nominal flight operations for many months; nominal is the kind of operation where “everything goes according to plan.” We are just starting to run mission simulations with failures that occur leading up to launch, and make sure that the team is trained to recognize the failures, and respond correctly.
What will happen to the test article when it gets to Kennedy until the day of launch?
Lots of testing, integration with the other flight elements, and preparation for flight!
How is this test helping keep crews safe for missions?
Ascent Abort-2 is a full-stress test of Orion’s launch abort system that will demonstrate the system can very quickly get astronauts away from an emergency during ascent. The test is over in three minutes but it is critical for ensuring astronaut safety on Orion so they can carry out their missions near the Moon, and this test is the only time we’re testing the full system before crewed missions.
You’ve had a lot happen with AA-2, from an administrator round table to a visit from the World Series ring, what memory stands out the most from this process?
For me, it was our first powered test of the Crew Module, and sitting on console as Test Conductor. The team has worked so hard to bring together the structural and powered systems, and having all of the harnessing, powered items, and software installed and ready to test was a huge milestone for the team, almost three years in the making. Running a full power-on sequence like we will on launch day, with the actual Crew Module, was a huge success for our team!
Krista Kamp
Johnson Space Center
We caught up with AA-2 Crew Module Deputy Manager Jenny Devolites for an update on all things AA-2.
NASA: The AA-2 crew module left Johnson on Aug. 13, marking the completion of the assembly and outfitting stage. Were there any notable successes or challenges during that outfitting process?
JENNY DEVOLITES: Absolutely - many notable successes and challenges! One challenge was helping the team balance workload. With a tight schedule and a very motivated, enthusiastic team of people willing to work crazy long hours, we sometimes had to step in and find ways to have them work less, in order to keep them from getting too burned out. We had a number of technical and schedule challenges to work through, but the team got in a good rhythm of communicating and keeping progress moving forward. Getting the crew module through assembly, integration, and powered testing was a huge success for this multi-center, multi-discipline team!
After the outfitting, the crew module was transferred to Plum Brook Station for testing in the Reverberant Acoustic Test Facility. What did that testing teach us?
The main objective for the acoustic test was to measure how the AA-2 Crew Module structure responds to the acoustic energy that it will experience when the abort motor fires during the flight test. This will allow us to better understand what the mainline Orion vehicle would experience during an abort.
When did the AA-2 crew module return to Johnson?
It arrived back at Johnson Sunday, Sept. 9.
Now that the AA-2 crew module has returned from Plum Brook Station what is next?
We are getting it ready to mate it to the Separation Ring before we ship the assembled system short stack to Kennedy. The Separation Ring mimics the top three feet of the Orion Service Module, which is being built by the European Space Agency. Our Separation Ring attaches directly to the top of the booster rocket that will get us up to our abort flight test conditions.
Once the test article ships to Kennedy, the JSC team isn’t done, right? What will the team being doing after it heads to Florida?
Going with it! Our engineering team will also serve as the integrated test team, as well as the flight operations team. We expect to be spending quite a bit of time from December through launch in Florida, as the integrated Crew Module and Separation Ring get mated to the other flight elements: the Launch Abort System and the Booster.
And the CSR team members that have been training as flight controllers will travel down to Kennedy for the launch?
Yes!
How has that training been going so far?
We have been training for nominal flight operations for many months; nominal is the kind of operation where “everything goes according to plan.” We are just starting to run mission simulations with failures that occur leading up to launch, and make sure that the team is trained to recognize the failures, and respond correctly.
What will happen to the test article when it gets to Kennedy until the day of launch?
Lots of testing, integration with the other flight elements, and preparation for flight!
How is this test helping keep crews safe for missions?
Ascent Abort-2 is a full-stress test of Orion’s launch abort system that will demonstrate the system can very quickly get astronauts away from an emergency during ascent. The test is over in three minutes but it is critical for ensuring astronaut safety on Orion so they can carry out their missions near the Moon, and this test is the only time we’re testing the full system before crewed missions.
You’ve had a lot happen with AA-2, from an administrator round table to a visit from the World Series ring, what memory stands out the most from this process?
For me, it was our first powered test of the Crew Module, and sitting on console as Test Conductor. The team has worked so hard to bring together the structural and powered systems, and having all of the harnessing, powered items, and software installed and ready to test was a huge milestone for the team, almost three years in the making. Running a full power-on sequence like we will on launch day, with the actual Crew Module, was a huge success for our team!
Krista Kamp
Johnson Space Center