CAPE CANAVERAL-The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy with Orion atop it lifted off at 7:05 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Orion will orbit Earth twice, reaching a peak altitude of 3,600 miles during its trip. The spacecraft is scheduled to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in approximately 4.5 hours.
Orion’s flight test is a critical step on NASA’s journey to Mars.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is built to take humans farther than they have ever gone before. Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.
The Delta IV Rocket a heavy lift rocket was assembled in Decatur at the United Launch Alliance plant. The Marshall Space was involved with the testing of the Orion capsule and helped develop the propulsion elements in the emergency abort system of the rocket. Marshall will oversee the rocket development in future Orion planned missions.
