Bringing Astronauts Home
The Underway Recovery Test-7 (URT-7) wasn't just designed to test whether the team can recover equipment, of course. The Orion capsule will have astronauts on board, and they'll need to be brought in to safety. That means that the test process included simulations of bringing in and tending a human strapped to a gurney.
The "Front Porch"
Navy divers practiced assembling the inflatable "front porch" onboard the USS John P. Murtha during the tests. When a crewed Orion capsule lands, astronauts will have the choice of staying in the capsule during its retrieval or exiting via this "front porch," which is then assembled on the open ocean into a boat.
How Much Water?
The water level inside the USS John P. Murtha's well deck can be controlled, but that means it needs to be monitored, as recovery team personnel do here.
LLAMAs Galore
The recovery process for the Orion capsule requires plenty of rigging lines and winch lines, like the one being managed by Jose Martinez, an instrumentation engineer with Jacobs, in this image. Personnel working on the test refer to these lines as line load attenuation mechanism assemblies, or LLAMAs.
Heading Out
Divers with the U.S. Navy prepare to leave the well deck of the USS John P. Murtha on Nov. 1 during the Orion recovery testing process.
Starting a Test
The test Orion capsule just before its release into open water on Nov. 1 during a recovery test held by NASA and the U.S. Navy on the Pacific Ocean.
Expert Supervision
Recovery engineer Milt Heflin, who served during the Apollo era as well, looks on during the Orion recovery testing procedures.
Attaching the Collar
Divers working for the U.S. Navy circled the test capsule with an inflatable collar as part of the recovery tests. In this photo, the capsule sports two orange bags that help it orient properly, but the real thing will sport five of them.
Mid-Test
NASA and Navy personnel as seen during a recovery test on Oct. 31.
An Evening's Work
The USS John P. Murtha sails into the sunset on Nov. 1, with its well deck lit up by Orion capsule-recovery test procedures.
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