The Unique Return of the Orion Spacecraft: Testing the Skip Entry Method

 

The Unique Return of the Orion Spacecraft: Testing the Skip Entry Method

The first mission of the Artemis program has come to an end and the Orion spacecraft is on its way home. On Sunday, December 11, the ship is expected to arrive in the Pacific near Sandy Ego, California. All the stages of this journey have been completed very successfully, but one destination remains. The entry of spacecraft into the Earth's atmosphere is extremely important and risky. Entering the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds and dangerously high temperatures is a matter of life and death for the spacecraft. The return of the Orion spacecraft is significant because it will test a method of reentry into space that has never been used before for a spacecraft carrying astronauts. This method is called Skip entry.

Now let's see if this is the method. Did you ever throw a stone on the surface of a lake or a canal as a child so that it touches the water 4,5 times, this is the same method used by this spaceship to enter the earth's atmosphere. The spacecraft will enter space, then exit the space and re-enter. In this case, it will travel 8000 km from entry to landing in the ocean, which will make it easy to determine the place of landing of the spacecraft so that the spacecraft can be recovered. The location of the teams can be known. In contrast, in the Apollo mission, the spacecraft traveled 2,760 km from the point of entry into the atmosphere until it hit the ocean.

In the skip entry, it will be possible to land the spacecraft in the vicinity of the designated location, because in this method, when the spacecraft is immersed in the atmosphere and taken out again into space, due to the absence of the drag force of the atmosphere, this spacecraft will can be taken to any desired location. This technology was also present during the Apollo missions, but the lack of advanced navigation, guidance and communication prevented its use.

Apart from this, the use of skip entry has many advantages such as the value of acceleration will be lower compared to single entry, which will not cause the damage that astronauts may suffer at high-g and second. The temperature that the spacecraft has to endure will be significantly reduced due to the distribution of the charge, which will simplify the design of the spacecraft's heat shield.

In conclusion, the successful return of the Orion spacecraft using the skip entry method marks a significant milestone in the Artemis program. This unique approach to reentry offers many advantages over traditional methods, including lower acceleration and reduced temperature stresses on the spacecraft and its crew. Additionally, skip entry allows for more precise control over the spacecraft's landing location, which can simplify the recovery process and improve overall mission safety. As we continue to push the boundaries of space exploration, innovations like the skip entry method will play an important role in ensuring the success of future missions.