 Launch of EFT-1 on December 5, 2014 | |
| Names | Orion Flight Test-1 (OFT-1) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Technology demonstration |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2014-077A |
| SATCATno. | 40329 |
| Mission duration | 4 hours, 24 minutes |
| Orbits completed | 2 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Orion CM-001 |
| Spacecraft type | Orion |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | December 5, 2014, 12:05 (2014-12-05UTC12:05Z) UTC (7:05 am EST)[1][2] |
| Rocket | Delta IV Heavy |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral,SLC-37B |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
| End of mission | |
| Recovered by | USS Anchorage |
| Landing date | December 5, 2014, 16:29 (2014-12-05UTC16:30Z) UTC (8:29 am PST) |
| Landing site | Pacific Ocean, 640 mi (1,030 km) SSE ofSan Diego (23°37′N114°28′W / 23.61°N 114.46°W /23.61; -114.46 (EFT-1 splashdown)) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Apogee altitude | 5,800 km (3,604 mi) |
 Mission insignia | |
Exploration Flight Test-1 orEFT-1 (previously known asOrion Flight Test 1 orOFT-1) was a technology demonstration mission and the first flight test of thecrew module portion of theOrion spacecraft. Without a crew, it was launched on December 5, 2014 at 12:05 UTC (7:05 am EST, local time at the launch site) by aDelta IV Heavy rocket fromSpace Launch Complex 37B at theCape Canaveral Air Force Station.[3]
The mission was a four-hour, two-orbit test of the Orion crew module featuring a highapogee on the second orbit and concluding with a high-energyreentry at around 8.9 kilometers per second (20,000 mph).[4] This mission design corresponds to theApollo 2/3 missions of 1966, which validated the Apollo flight control system andheat shield at re-entry conditions planned for the return from lunar missions.
EFT-1 tested several systems of thecrew module portion of theOrion spacecraft, includingseparation events,avionics,heat shield performance,parachutes, and recovery operations. The uncrewed test flight served as a precursor to Orion’s first mission aboard theSpace Launch System (SLS) onArtemis I. Because theEuropean Service Module was not yet available, Orion flew with astructural representation. It also carried only a partiallaunch abort system, limited to the motor used to jettison the system at the end of launch, along with an Orion-to-stage adapter designed for future use with the SLS.[5]
For the mission, Orion remained attached to the dummy service module, which itself was connected to the Delta IV Heavy’s upper stage. This stage was nearly identical to theInterim Cryogenic Upper Stage planned for the Block 1 version of the SLS. Unlike future flights, Orion relied on internal batteries for power rather thanphotovoltaic arrays.[6]
Data returned from EFT-1 informed Orion’s design and were incorporated into its critical design review (CDR) in April 2015.[7] These results helped pave the way for theArtemis I mission, which launched on November 16, 2022,[8] more than seven years after EFT-1.
Orion CM-001 used on the EFT-1 mission was built byLockheed Martin.[9] On June 22, 2012, the final welds of the EFT-1 Orion were completed at theMichoud Assembly Facility inNew Orleans, Louisiana.[9] It was then transported toKennedy Space Center'sOperations and Checkout Building, where the remainder of the spacecraft was completed.[10] The Delta IV rocket was put in a vertical position on October 1, 2014, and Orion was mated with the vehicle on November 11.[11][12][13]
The four-and-a-half-hour flight took the Orion spacecraft on two orbits of Earth. Peakapogee was approximately 5,800 kilometres (3,600 mi). The distance allowed the spacecraft to reach reentry speeds of up to 8.9 km/s (20,000 mph), which exposed the heat shield to temperatures up to around 2,200 °C (4,000 °F).[4][5]
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| L‑6:00:00 | Orion powered on, mobile service tower retracts, fueling of Delta IV Heavy begins |
| 0:00:00 | Launch (7:05 a.m. EST, 12:05 UTC) |
| 0:01:23 | Maxq |
| 0:01:23 | Vehicle is supersonic |
| 0:03:56 | Booster separation |
| 0:05:30 | First stage MECO (main engine cut-off) |
| 0:05:33 | First stage separation |
| 0:05:49 | Second stage ignition No. 1 |
| 0:06:15 | Service module fairing jettison |
| 0:06:20 | Launch Abort System jettison |
| 0:17:39 | SECO No. 1 (second engine cut-off), Orion begins first orbit |
| 1:55:26 | Orion completes first orbit, second stage ignition No. 2 |
| 2:00:09 | SECO No. 2 |
| 2:05:00 | Enter first high radiation period |
| 2:20:00 | Leave first high radiation period |
| 2:40:00 | Reaction control system (RCS) activation |
| 3:05:00 | Reach peak apogee: 5,800 km (3,600 mi) |
| 3:23:41 | Orion separates from combined service module/second stage, second stage performs disposal burn |
| 3:57:00 | Orion positions for reentry |
| 4:13:41 | Entry interface |
| 4:20:22 | Forward bay cover jettisons, parachute deployment begins (two drogues, three mains) |
| 4:24:46 | Splashdown and recovery by the USSAnchorage crew |
After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, crews from theUSSAnchorage recovered the EFT-1 Orion crew vehicle. Plans were later made to outfit the capsule for an ascent abort test in 2017.[15]
| Attempt | Planned | Result | Turnaround | Reason | Decision point | Weather go (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 Dec 2014, 7:05:00 am | Scrubbed | — | Weather | 4 Dec 2014, 9:44 am (T−00:03:09) | A boat entered the launch range, wind gusts in excess of speed limit (21 kn or 24 mph or 39 km/h), and a fuel fill and drain valve did not close. 24-hour recycle. | |
| 2 | 5 Dec 2014, 7:05:00 am | Success | 1 day 0 hours 0 minutes |
NASA heavily promoted the mission, collaborating withSesame Street and its characters to educate children about the flight test and the Orion spacecraft.[16]
The Orion capsule used for EFT-1 is now on display at theKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, in the "NASA Now" exhibit.[17]
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