Achieving weight reduction for the Orion crew module heat shield

摘要

NASA's Engineering and Safety Centre is using Collier Research Corporation's automatic structural analysis and optimisation software in the development of weight-reduction alternatives for the Orion crew module. Protected by the shell of its huge launch-rocket during blast-off, NASA's Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) must get back to earth on its own at mission's end. The flight plan for this next-generation craft includes a dramatic ocean splash down reminiscent of the Apollo programme that pre-dated the Space Shuttle's smooth runway landings.