An oddly satisfying launch abort system ✅ As part of the #Artemis missions, NASA’s Orion spacecraft will carry the first woman and first person of color to the Moon and return them safely back to Earth. An integral part of ensuring astronaut safety is Orion’s launch abort system that can pull the crew module away from the rocket in a split-second if an emergency arises during launch. The abort maneuver resembles the action of an “eject button” for a crew capsule. The abort motor produces hot, turbulent, high-speed exhaust plumes that flow along the sides of Orion. These plumes create intense pressure waves that can cause vibrations in the combined structure of the launch abort system with the Orion spacecraft as it is pulled away from the rocket. NASA researchers analyze these vibrations to ensure the system doesn’t shake itself apart in flight. This visualization shows animated particles literally “going with the flow” of the plumes. The particles appear to exit from the launch abo...