{"id":27305,"date":"2018-01-25T21:11:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T21:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/01\/25\/nasa-navy-practice-orion-recovery-in-the-pacific-ocean\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:10:12","slug":"nasa-navy-practice-orion-recovery-in-the-pacific-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/01\/25\/nasa-navy-practice-orion-recovery-in-the-pacific-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA, Navy practice Orion recovery in the Pacific Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you think sending astronauts speeding to a point 40,000 miles beyond the moon is difficult, try bringing them back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In coming years, NASA will launch an unmanned spacecraft and then, if all goes well, a manned Orion spacecraft deeper into the solar system than any other manned craft has ever gone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s impressive, but on its return trip, Orion will need to slow down from 25,000 mph to just 300 mph as it enters the Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From there, the craft needs to slow to just 20 mph as it (hopefully) splashes down gently in the water, according to NASA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critical to success will be getting to the astronauts in the Orion as fast as possible. This is where the Navy comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, NASA experts and sailors were aboard the transport dock Anchorage to practice retrieving a mock capsule in the ocean and securing it. Here are some scenes (and video) from their practice session:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sailors assist with Orion test article recovery operations in the well deck aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), Jan. 18. (Boatswain\u2019s Mate 3rd Class Matthew Jones\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Sailors from Special Boat Team 12 catch a heaving line attached to the NASA\u2019s winch system used to bring in the Orion test article into the well deck of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), Jan. 22. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Carrel Regis\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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U.S. Navy divers assist NASA and the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23) recover a mock-up capsule designed to roughly simulate the size, shape, mass and center of gravity of the Orion crew module that will splash down in the Pacific Ocean following Exploration Mission-1 planned for Dec. 2019. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Abe McNatt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Sailors from the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD 18) assist NASA engineers in bringing the Orion test article to the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), Jan. 22. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Natalie M. Byers\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Sailors from the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD 18) assist NASA engineers in bringing the Orion test article to the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23) with the help of Navy divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3 and Sailors from Special Boat Team 12, Jan. 22. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Natalie M. Byers\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Navy divers from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3 attach an inflatable ring to NASA\u2019s Orion test article to the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), Jan. 21, 2018. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Natalie M. Byers\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Sailors in a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat from the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD 18) assist divers in Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC) from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3 in bringing back the Orion test article to the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), Jan. 22. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Natalie M. Byers\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Seaman Marc Castillejo handles a line from the NASA\u2019s Orion test article aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), Jan. 21, 2018. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Carrel Regis\/Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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