ᴴᴰ Full Onboard Re-entry into Earth’s Atmosphere ● New NASA Spacecraft
Why Space Exploration Stack Exchange recommends it
Space Stack Exchange users link it as real footage of a capsule re-entry, to show how smooth the ride is, how long the plasma trail lasts, and how re-entries have been filmed.
Recommended by 1 people across 1 different months, 2017 to 2024.
What it is
Onboard camera footage of the Orion capsule re-entering Earth's atmosphere at the end of the uncrewed EFT-1 test flight in December 2014. It shows the plasma trail during peak heating and the horizon motion as the capsule descends, with metric values overlaid, ending with splashdown under three main parachutes. It is a compilation uploaded by the Tanks in Space channel, using NASA material.
What people said
Recommends Russell Borogove · 2017-08 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Does atmospheric entry shake the craft?”
This onboard video [this video] from the 2014 Orion spacecraft reentry test shows what looks like a pretty smooth ride. During the peak heating period there's a dramatic plasma tail visible, but starting around 1:45 in the video you can see the motion of the horizon, indicating that the capsule is rocking smoothly rather than shuddering at all. Early, smaller capsules like Gemini and Mercury may have had a slightly rougher ride, but I would guess nowhere near what movies like The Right Stuff or Apollo 13 suggest.
Cites Bob516 · 2020-02 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “How long would a plasma trail last during a lander's Mars atmospheric entry?”
In this video of the Orion reenty, ᴴᴰ Full Onboard Re-entry into Earth’s Atmosphere ● New NASA Spacecraft [this video] , the plasma trail appears to last about 90 seconds. Screenshot from video [LINK] Considering how thin the Martian atmosphere is how long would a plasma train be visible? NASA illustration [LINK] of Insight's plasma trail. [LINK]
Cites Hobbes · 2024-03 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Has any vehicle prior to Starship's IFT3 "taken a selfie" during reentry?”
Several of the Apollo missions filmed their reentry using the 16mm film camera, looking out of one of the CM windows. Example: Apollo 15. A few weeks ago, Varda released a recording of the full reentry of its W-1 spacecraft. Various Shuttle missions recorded their reentry from the cockpit: Here's Orion reentering at the end of EFT-1: NASA uses WB-57 high-altitude aircraft to follow launches and reentry. Here's the Starship IFT-2 flight filmed by a WB-57. And here's a Falcon 9 first stage reentering, filmed by a WB-57: WB-57 filmed the reentry of Starliner: