NASA’s Artemis II mission, set to launch between February and April 2026, will involve testing the Orion capsule’s parachute system, evaluated at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground from 2011 to 2018. Astronaut Victor Glover, slated as the mission’s pilot, observed developmental tests at the site. The parachute system, featuring Kevlar cords and sequential deployment stages, ensures safe reentry by slowing the capsule from 24,500 mph to 17 mph. Redundancies address potential failures, with tests simulating non-deployment scenarios. Yuma’s land-based testing facilitated easier recovery and analysis compared to ocean landings. A 2022 uncrewed Orion test successfully deployed the parachute system during a lunar flyby and reentry. Yuma Proving Ground has supported NASA since the 1960s, including testing for the lunar rover and Apollo-era equipment.
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Summary adapted from https://war.gov
https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4391747/upcoming-artemis-ii-space-mission-has-multiple-yuma-proving-ground-connections/
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