Overview of the Orion Pad Abort 1 Launch Abort System

The Orion Pad Abort 1 (PA-1) Flight Test was conducted on May 6th, 2010 at White Sands
Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico as a key step towards validating the Orion crew
exploration vehicle’s (CEV) launch abort system (LAS). The LAS is an integral part of NASA’s
ongoing development activities to enable safer space vehicles for future manned spacecraft. As
the title of the flight test implies – the PA-1 test was a demonstration of the capability of the
LAS to perform an abort from the launch pad and carry the Orion crew module (CM) to a safe
altitude and down range distance such that the CM parachutes can be deployed, allowing the
CM to land safely in the waters off the Kennedy Space Center launch complex.

The LAS is comprised of three solid propellant rocket motors: an abort motor (AM), an attitude
control motor (ACM), and a jettison motor. These motors are integrated into the LAS stack
through several structural interface elements. The LAS, in the PA-1 configuration, is then
attached to the CM through a structural adapter cone and 6 retention and release (R&R)
attachments.

The invited oral presentation will provide an overview of the Orion LAS, including the
government and contractor team responsible for the development. The overall capabilities of
the LAS and its key component systems will be presented. Additionally, the key technology
advancements and technological challenges made during the development of the LAS
component systems, most noticeably in the development of the LAS motors, will be discussed.
Results obtained from the PA-1 test that illustrates the performance of the LAS system and its
component systems will also be presented.