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NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 mission successfully launched at 7 a.m. EDT July 2, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a critical test of the Launch Abort System (LAS) with a test version of the Orion crew module in this remote camera view. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Ken Kremer — SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM – 5 July 2019
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – A test version of NASA’s Orion deep space capsule soared
skywards during an absolutely stunning sunrise blastoff Tuesday morning July 2 on a critical in-flight test of the Launch Abort System (LAS) to save astronauts lives in the event of an sudden catastrophic failure of the rocket thrusting to space.
The successful Ascent Abort-2 (AA2) mission used a fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) tower bolted atop a test version of NASA’s Orion capsule slated to send astronauts to deep space including the Moon and Mars as part of NASA’s Artemis program.
AA-2 is the last Orion test flight prior to the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission to the Moon and back targeted for late 2020 or 2021.
Liftoff of the AA2 mission took place right on time at 7 a.m. EDT July 2 from Launch Complex 46 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at the opening of the 4 hour long launch window atop a retired and refurbished Peacekeeper ICBM 1st stage nuclear missile motor.
It was a literally once in a lifetime chance to see a completely different type of rocket
launch not targeting orbit.
Enjoy our photos of the AA2 test flight on site at the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Jetty Park by myself and colleague Jean Wright.
Check back as the gallery grows.
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NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 mission successfully launched at 7 a.m. EDT July 2, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a critical test of the Launch Abort System (LAS) with a test version of the Orion crew module in this remote camera view. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The launch vehicle stack stands 93 feet (28 meters) tall and consists of a mock Orion capsule atop a retired and modified Peacekeeper ICBM 1st stage motor certified and procured through the U.S. Air Force and built by Northrop Grumman with the Launch Abort System (LAS) tower bolted on top and built by prime contractor Lockheed Martin with a jettison motor provided by Aerojet Rocketdyne.
The sunrise launch was spectacularly beautiful under sunny conditions that were
about as good as one could have hoped for midsummer in Florida – accompanied by
a completely clear view of the entire test sequence which was short as intended and lasted approximately 3 minutes.
The LAS is equipped with three different types of motors to pull the capsule away, flip
it around and jettison the tower to deploy it and everything appeared to function as designed.
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3 major components of NASA Orion Ascent Abort-2 test flight successfully separate and fall back to Earth after liftoff at 7 a.m. EDT, July 2, 2019 – mock Orion crew capsule, Peacekeeper 1st stage booster and Launch Abort System (LAS) – to demonstrate that launch abort escape system will save astronauts lives in case of a catastrophic rocket failure. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The 22,000 pound Orion test spacecraft traveled to an altitude of about six miles (31,000 ft, 9800 m) powered by the 400,000 pound thrust Peacekeeper stage “at which point it experienced high-stress aerodynamic conditions expected during ascent” to simulate the conditions of maximum aerodynamic pressure or ‘Max-Q’ it will experience during launch onNASA’s mammoth Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
The abort sequence was automatically triggered at T + 50 seconds as the vehicle was speeding skywards traveling at Mach 1.3. Within milliseconds, the abort motor on the LAS tower fired to pull the crew module away from the rocket as would happen during a true launch emergency to save the astronauts lives and avoid catastrophe.
Then the LAS attitude control motor flipped the capsule end-over-end to properly orient it, and then the jettison motor fired, releasing the crew module for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean some 7 miles or so off shore three minutes later.
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NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 mission successfully launched at 7 a.m. EDT July
2, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a critical test of the Launch Abort System (LAS) with a test version of the Orion crew module in this remote camera view. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Watch my Up Close video of the launch via a remote video camera stationed at pad 46:
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UpClose look of NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 mission successfully launched on Peacekeeper ICBM
missile at 7 a.m. EDT July 2, 2019 from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a critical test of the Launch Abort System (LAS) with a test version of the Orion crew module – in this remote camera view. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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3 major components of NASA Orion Ascent Abort-2 test flight
successfully separate and fall back to Earth after liftoff at 7 a.m. EDT, July 2, 2019 – mock Orion crew capsule, Peacekeeper 1st stage booster and Launch Abort System (LAS) – to demonstrate that launch abort escape system will save astronauts lives in case of a catastrophic rocket failure. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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The Orion Launch Abort System (LAS) tower plummets upside
down back to Earth for crashing splashdown in Atlantic Ocean after pulling capsule away for simulated failed booster, reorienting it and deploying it to conclude Ascent Abort 2 test flight on July 2, 2019 from Cape Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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The Peacekeeper ICBM first stage booster plummets back to
Earth for crashing splashdown in Atlantic Ocean after LAS pulls capsule away for simulated failed booster, to conclude Ascent Abort 2 test flight on July 2, 2019 from Cape Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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The Peacekeeper ICBM first stage booster plummets back to
Earth for crashing splashdown in Atlantic Ocean after LAS pulls capsule away for simulated failed booster, to conclude Ascent Abort 2 test flight on July 2, 2019 from Cape Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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Peacekeeper ICBM first stage booster plummets back to Earth
seen here moments before crashing into the Atlantic Ocean at >300 MPH after LAS pulls capsule away for simulated failed booster, to conclude Ascent Abort 2 test flight July 2, 2019 from Cape Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
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Peacekeeper ICBM first stage
booster plummets back to Earth and crashes into the Atlantic Ocean at >300 MPH after LAS pulls capsule away for simulated failed booster, to conclude Ascent Abort 2 test flight July 2, 2019 from Cape Canaveral. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com |
Ken was onsite at the Kennedy Space Center for live coverage of NASA’s Orion Ascent Abort-2 test launch.
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer
– email: ken at kenkremer.com
Jul 15/16/17: Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings. Learn more about the upcoming/recent NASA Orion Ascent-2 Abort test Falcon Heavy, NASA 2024 Moon landing
goal, SpaceX Starlink-1, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-17 launch to ISS, SpaceX Demo-1 launch/test failure, SpaceX Beresheet launch, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, Northrop Grumman Antares, SpySats and more
Ken’s will display his photos for sale
…
by Jetty Park and Jetty Park Beach
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Credit:
Jean Wright/Space UpClose |
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Credit:
Jean Wright/Space UpClose |
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Credit:
Jean Wright/Space UpClose |
