NASA has released this rather wince-worthy picture of July’s test of the Orion crew exploration vehicle under the headline NASA Tests Launch Abort Parachute System.

Its rather dry announcement notes: “The mock-up used during the July 31, 2008, test of the parachute system for the recovery system of the Orion spacecraft was severely damaged when a test set-up chute failed to properly inflate and caused the parachute system to fail.”

NASA Watch is, unsurprisingly, unimpressed:

Nowhere does NASA mention that the vehicle slammed into the desert floor or crashed. They just say that “the result was a landing that severely damaged the test mock-up.” Nor has NASA issued a media advisory or a press release to alert people of the images it claimed that it did not have last week.

More photos below the fold.

Orion mock-up exits a C-17 transport plane above Yuma, Arizona.

Programmer chute, which is designed to get the Orion into the correct position for the test, fails to inflate.

Torn and damaged, the chute cannot stop the falling capsule.

Hope you had insurance…

Images: NASA