NASA Sends Unmanned Crew Capsule into Space to Test Abort Thrusters

NASA lofted an unmanned crew capsule into space on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The capsule carried spacecraft’s abort thrusters, which was successfully tested. The launch took place at the Florida launchpad.

Abort thrusters is a kind of astronaut safety device that NASA plans to install on its much awaited 2024 moon mission.

Before testing the three abort thrusters, the capsule, Orion crew capsule was blasted off more than eight miles atop a ballistic missile at 1100 (GMT). It is learnt from the report that the abort thrusters would be used in an event of rocket failure during space travel. It will jettison the astronauts.

NASA’s goal to reach the moon with humans again by 2024 depends on the amount of progress that they are making in shaping up the whole mission. The space agency is likely to use Orion and its Space Launch System for the moon mission.

The Orion test vehicle weighs 22,000-pound.After testing the abort simulation on Tuesday; it plunged into the oceans very fast after being detached from the booster. Even though the parachutes did not open during the landing, the crews landed safely.

In comparison to the parachute malfunctioning, in 2018, there was a problem with a rocket which carried astronauts to the International Space Station. As soon as the rocket malfunctioned, it used its abort system 31 miles above the surface of the Earth.

The new development is a big boost for NASA in terms of landing humans on the moon.