Lockheed Martin has completed welding together the two halves of the Orion crew module marking the completion of the structural framework.

The firm welded the forward cone assembly to the aft barrel assembly using the next-generation friction stir weld process.

The 445in long weld is the longest such weld of its kind and will ensure optimal structural integrity for the harsh environments of space flight.

The crew module will be ground tested for static vibration, acoustic and water landing tests before flight testing.

Lockheed is the prime contractor for Nasa’s Orion crew exploration vehicle and will provide a module for crew and cargo transport, a service module for propulsion, electrical power and fluids storage, and a launch abort system.

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