Balancing Act-Spacecraft Mass Properties

Issued by Texas State University Continuing Education

Learn about Orion's Ascent Abort-2 test, mass properties engineering, and relevant instructional activities. On July 2, 2019, NASA conducted the Orion Ascent Abort-2 test. This milestone event, key to verifying the flight capabilities of Orion's Launch Abort System (LAS), provided crucial data towards NASA's goal of returning astronauts to the Moon, and eventually transporting them to Mars and asteroids.

Type Learning
Level Foundational
Time Hours
Cost Free

Additional Details

Skills

Earning Criteria

Describe what a launch escape system (e.g., launch abort system [LAS]) is and why it is important to the safety of human spaceflight, and explain that escape systems are the result of NASA engineers testing and modifying their designs towards an optimal solution (NGSS K-2-ETS1-2; 3-5-ETS1-3; MS-ETS1-4; HS-ETS1-3).

Standards

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards

NGSS PS1 [Matter & its Interactions]; NGSS PS2 [Motion & Stability]; NGSS ETS1 [Engineering Design]; CCSS MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.A.1; CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.EE.B.3 & 4