NASA's Orion Parachute Test: Phail!

I imagine there are some astronauts in Houston that cringed when they saw this video. Last month NASA crashed a mockup of their new Orion spacecraft in the desert during a test of the launch abort parachute system. After being pushed out of the back of a C-17 to simulate an aborted launch altitude, things got a little out of hand and a little nasty. Wired Science writes:

"In the test, a number of "set-up" parachutes are deployed. Some are used to pull the pallet out of the plane. Then the capsule is pyrotechnically separated from the pallet, which has its own parachute recovery system. The capsule then has a "programmer" parachute and two stabilizer parachutes that are used to set up the test configuration. It was this programmer chute that failed to inflate properly causing the capsule to fall much faster then planned. All this happened before the Orion parachute test could even begin."

Needless to say, the mockup was heavily damaged from the free fall. NASA engineers are reviewing the test setup while managers assure astronauts that Alaskan King Crab fishing is by far the most dangerous occupation.

[Wired Science]

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F-15 Goes Mach 2 On Synthetic Fuel

The US Air Force successfully completed a flight test of its experimental synthetic fuel with a fighter for the first time this week by using an F-15 Eagle. The F-15 seemed to take to the new fuel pretty well as it screamed up to Mach 2.2 during a 55 minute test flight. The Air Force has been testing the fuel on larger aircraft in their fleet including a C-17, a B-52 and even a B-1 that was the first to break the sound barrier using the 50-50 blend of synthetic fuel and JP-8. This new test was the first on a light and maneuverable fighter jet, though. The fuel is created by using the proven Fischer-Tropsch method of deriving fuel from coal which is a process the Germans used during WWII to satisfy their insatiable need for war-time fuel. While the synthetic fuel mix is marginally better on the environment than traditional fuel, the main reason the Air Force is conducting this research is to see if it can reduce their need for oil and save Uncle Sam a little money. The US Air Force is, after all, the world's largest consumer of jet fuel which is why they'd like to certify all of their aircraft on the new mix. Next up for testing is the Air Force's newest (and baddest) fighter, the F-22 Raptor, which could start as early as next week.

[Danger Room] [Photo: Op-For]

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F-35 First Flight by Military Pilot (Verdict: Kicks ass)

Lt. Col. James "Flipper" Kromberg of the United States Air Force was the first military pilot to fly the F-35 Lightning II. His verdict was just released: "The aircraft flew very well, exceeding my expectations," Kromberg said. "I was surprised by the amount of power on the takeoff roll. And the handling, particularly with the gear up, was phenomenal. The aircraft was very stable flying in formation with another airplane. It was really a joy to fly."



The F-35 is nicknamed the Lightning II after the WWII era aircraft the P-38 Lightning. It has flown only 28 times, and all flight but this one have been piloted by one of two test flight pilots from Lockheed Martin. The last test flight was only days ago on March 12 for an aerial refueling test seen below:


The F-35 is scheduled to make its debut in 2011 as the world's most advanced fighter aircraft. It is supposed to be the numero uno strike fighter in the world until it is usurped by another beast in 2040.

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