Training for a potential Mars mission, NASA astronauts have recently been practicing water maneuvers using a mockup Orion space capsule, off the Texas coast line, in the Gulf of Mexico. On Thursday, July 13, a number of astronauts practiced training exercises in open water approximately four miles from Galveston.
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Water Landings Rehearsed Off Texas Coast by Mars Mission Astronauts
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Photo: Facebook/NASA’s Space Launch System
At the Johnson Space Center in Houston, an Orion spacecraft is being prepared for their potential Mars mission, outfitted with NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS). The system has been identified as the most powerful rocket that has ever been built by the agency. Upon completion, the launch system will enable astronauts to explore further into the solar system to more remote exploration destinations.
Photo: Facebook/Earth Explorer
Wearing bright orange uniforms for the training, the astronauts learned competencies for a possible water landing, including the proper way to use flotation devices and jump into the water upon such a landing. They also learned how to effectively deploy a life raft. While doing so, military and NASA safety personnel, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, were deployed in a nearby position, should their services be required.
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