Deep space spacecraft heading this way

PERKINS TWP. — Before blasting off into space next year, a vehicle must undergo one final round of tests this fall in Erie County.NASA officials confirmed the spacecraft Orion — part of the Artemis I initiative, which involves transporting astronauts into deep space and maybe even Mars — should arrive at the Plum Brook Station by Nov. 14.It'll be flown from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to Mansfield. A motorcade will then escort this equipment to Plum Brook, about a 50-mile journey.Unforeseen setbacks pushed back testing at Plum Brook multiple times. Officials originally scheduled testing for July then September and, now, Nov. 14.For about four years now, Plum Brook represents a primary testing hub for activities related to Orion because of its one-of-a-kind experimental chambers. Engineers previously analyzed Orion's capabilities with solar power, noise, temperatures and pyro shocks, which ensured it could separate when necessary.What's new now: Orion's actual spacecraft, the one heading into space, will make a stop at Plum Brook. Previously, workers at Plum Brook experimented with Orion's test flight article, which featured a similar design of the actual vehicle destined for deep-space exploration.The newest tests at Plum Brook involve Orion going through:• About two months' worth of thermal vacuum testing. Plum Brook houses the world's largest vacuum chamber, which determines if spacecraft can withstand extreme temperatures — ranging from minus 250 degrees to 170 degrees — found in space."We will pull the spacecraft out of the Thermal Vacuum Chamber and reconfigure both the spacecraft instrumentation and the chamber itself," said Nicole Smith, the NASA project manager overseeing Orion's testing at Plum Brook.• About two weeks' worth of electromagnetic interference and compatibility tests"We want to make sure all the electronics perform to their best capabilities and perform well without interfering with one another," Smith said.Data obtained through testing helps NASA personnel best determine and understand Orion's effectiveness before several scheduled launches occur."All of this testing is to ensure the spacecraft systems operate as they were designed, which will ultimately lead to the success of Artemis I in 2020," Smith said.Another date of note, as recently publicized by NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine: As part of the Artemis I initiative, he wants astronauts, both men and women, to land on the moon by 2024. No woman has landed on the moon before. And this would represent NASA's first trip to the moon since 1972, when the last Apollo mission occurred.NASA officials also envision the Artemis I initiative setting a foundation for astronauts to, one day, land on Mars.None of this could happen, they said, without Plum Brook's testing chambers and the subsequent work occurring at the Erie County base.Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.In this Aug. 21, 2018, photo, Nicole Smith, the NASA project manager in charge of Orion's testing at the Plum Brook Station in Erie County, speaks about Orion, referencing the simulated spacecraft (background). Later this year, the actual vehicle heading to space in 2020 will arrive at Plum Brook for additional testing.