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Exploration Flight Test-1
First uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft

Exploration Flight Test-1 or EFT-1 (previously known as Orion Flight Test 1 or OFT-1) was a technology demonstration mission and the first flight test of the crew module portion of the Orion spacecraft. Without a crew, it was launched on 5 December 2014 at 12:05 UTC (7:05 am EST, local time at the launch site) by a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The mission was a four-hour, two-orbit test of the Orion crew module featuring a high apogee on the second orbit and concluding with a high-energy reentry at around 8.9 kilometers per second (20,000 mph). This mission design corresponds to the Apollo 2/3 missions of 1966, which validated the Apollo flight control system and heat shield at re-entry conditions planned for the return from lunar missions.

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Objectives

EFT-1 tested various systems of the crew module portion of the Orion spacecraft, including separation events, avionics, heat shielding, parachutes, and recovery operations prior to its flight aboard the Space Launch System rocket on the Artemis I mission. The Orion was not equipped with its companion European Service Module, using only a structural representation, and only had a partial launch abort system containing only the jettison motor. It was equipped with an Orion-to-stage adapter for testing.3

The spacecraft remained attached to the dummy service module, which in turn remained attached to the Delta IV's upper stage (which is nearly identical to the Interim Cryogenic Upper Stage to be used on the Block 1 version of the Space Launch System rocket) until re-entry began and relied on internal batteries for power rather than photovoltaic arrays.4

Data gathered from the test flight were analyzed by the critical design review (CDR) in April 2015.5 Artemis I launched on 16 November 2022,6 more than seven years after EFT-1.

Vehicle assembly

Orion CM-001 used on the EFT-1 mission was built by Lockheed Martin.7 On 22 June 2012, the final welds of the EFT-1 Orion were completed at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana.8 It was then transported to Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building, where the remainder of the spacecraft was completed.9 The Delta IV rocket was put in a vertical position on 1 October 2014, and Orion was mated with the vehicle on 11 November.101112

Flight

The four-and-a-half-hour flight took the Orion spacecraft on two orbits of Earth. Peak altitude was approximately 5,800 kilometres (3,600 mi). The high altitude 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).1314

TimeEvent
L-6:00:00Orion powered on, mobile service tower retracts. Fueling of Delta IV Heavy begins
0:00:00Launch window opens (7:05 a.m. EST, 12:05 UTC). EFT-1 launches.
0:01:23Max Q
0:01:23Reach Mach 1
0:03:56Booster separation
0:05:30First stage MECO (main engine cut-off)
0:05:33First stage separation
0:05:49Second stage ignition No. 1
0:06:15Structural representation of service module fairing jettison
0:06:20Launch Abort System jettison
0:17:39SECO No. 1 (second engine cut-off), Orion begins first orbit
1:55:26Orion completes first orbit, second stage ignition No. 2
2:00:09SECO No. 2 (second engine cut-off)
2:05:00Enter first high radiation period
2:20:00Leave first high radiation period
2:40:00Reaction control system (RCS) activation
3:05:00Reach peak altitude (5,800 kilometers/3,600 miles)
3:23:41Orion separates from service module and second stage, second stage performs disposal burn
3:57:00Orion positions for reentry
4:13:41Entry interface
4:20:22Forward bay cover jettisons, parachute deployment begins (two drogues, three mains)
4:24:46Splashdown and recovery by the USS Anchorage crew

After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, crews from the USS Anchorage recovered the EFT-1 Orion crew vehicle. Plans were later made to outfit the capsule for an ascent abort test in 2017.15

Launch attempts

AttemptPlannedResultTurnaroundReasonDecision pointWeather go (%)Notes
14 Dec 2014, 7:05:00 amHold—Fouled RangeA boat entered the launch range.
24 Dec 2014, 7:17:00 amHold0 days 0 hours 12 minutesWeatherWind gusts in excess of speed limit (21 kn or 24 mph or 39 km/h).
34 Dec 2014, 7:55:00 amHold0 days 0 hours 38 minutesWeatherWind gusts in excess of speed limit (21 kn or 24 mph or 39 km/h).
44 Dec 2014, 8:26:00 amHold0 days 0 hours 31 minutesTechnical ​(T−00:03:09)A fuel fill and drain valve did not close.
54 Dec 2014, 9:44:00 amScrubbed0 days 1 hour 18 minutesTechnical24-hour recycle.
65 Dec 2014, 7:05:00 amSuccess0 days 21 hours 21 minutes

Public outreach

NASA heavily promoted the mission, collaborating with Sesame 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 the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, in the "NASA Now" exhibit.17

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References

  1. Foust, Jeff (5 December 2014). "Delta 4 Heavy Launches Orion on Second Attempt". SpaceNews. Retrieved 24 February 2023. https://spacenews.com/delta-4-heavy-launches-orion-second-attempt/ ↩

  2. Bergin, Chris (14 November 2011). "EFT-1 Orion Receives Hatch Door—Denver Orion Ready for Modal Testing". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 November 2011. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/11/eft-1-orion-hatch-door-orion-modal-testing ↩

  3. "Orion First Flight Test – NASA Facts" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 10 October 2014. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/fs-2014-08-005-jsc-orion-eft-final.pdf ↩

  4. "OFT-1: NASA gearing up for Orion's 2013 debut via Delta IV Heavy". 8 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20130615185234/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/08/oft-1-nasa-orions-2013-debut-via-delta-iv-heavy/ ↩

  5. "EFT-1 September, 2014 launch date "paced" by the Delta IV-H". nasaspaceflight.com. 7 November 2012. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/11/eft-1-september-2014-launch-paced-delta-ivh ↩

  6. "NASA: Artemis I". NASA. Retrieved 2 September 2022. https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-i/index.html ↩

  7. Clark, Stephen (26 June 2012). "Space-bound Orion capsule to arrive in Florida next week". SpaceFlightNow. Retrieved 28 June 2012. http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1206/26orion/ ↩

  8. Clark, Stephen (26 June 2012). "Space-bound Orion capsule to arrive in Florida next week". SpaceFlightNow. Retrieved 28 June 2012. http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1206/26orion/ ↩

  9. "NASA Unveils Orion During Ceremony". NASA. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012. https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/mpcv/orion_arrival.html ↩

  10. "NASA’s Orion Spacecraft, Rocket Move Closer to First Flight" NASA. Retrieved: 5 October 2014. https://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/october/nasa-s-orion-spacecraft-rocket-move-closer-to-first-flight/ ↩

  11. "Orion Spacecraft Complete" Archived 31 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine NASA. Retrieved: 30 October 2014. https://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/october/nasa-s-orion-spacecraft-complete-media-invited-to-learn-more-about-its-first/index.html#.VFN0474_ypc ↩

  12. "Orion Arrives at Launch Pad" Archived 12 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine NASA. Retrieved: 12 November 2014. https://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/november/nasa-s-orion-spacecraft-arrives-at-launch-pad-hoisted-onto-rocket-ahead-of-its/index.html#.VGPgML4_ypc ↩

  13. Bergin, Chris (14 November 2011). "EFT-1 Orion Receives Hatch Door—Denver Orion Ready for Modal Testing". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 16 November 2011. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/11/eft-1-orion-hatch-door-orion-modal-testing ↩

  14. "Orion First Flight Test – NASA Facts" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 10 October 2014. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/fs-2014-08-005-jsc-orion-eft-final.pdf ↩

  15. Stephen Clark (23 November 2011). "Cracks discovered in Orion capsule's pressure shell". Spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved 23 November 2011. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1211/23eft1cracks/ ↩

  16. NASA (24 November 2014). "Sesame Street Characters 'On Board' as NASA Counts Down to Orion's Test Flight". NASA.gov. Retrieved 6 December 2014. https://www.nasa.gov/content/sesame-street-characters-on-board-with-orion/#.VIN40THF-4k ↩

  17. "Orion EFT-1 flown spacecraft joins display in 'NASA Now' exhibit | collectSPACE". collectSPACE.com. Retrieved 21 September 2020. http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-041317a-orion-eft1-kennedy-display.html ↩