NASA : Orion Launch On Track For Dec. 4 From Cape

It has been reported that NASA’s Orion spacecraft is all set to be launched for its first test flight as per schedule on December 4. The Orion spacecraft has been specifically designed to carry astronauts to deep space destinations including Mars.

Orion’s mission will take it some 3,600 miles from Earth or a distance three times farther than the International Space Station. The capsule will return to Earth travelling at some 20,000 miles per hour to splash down in the Pacific.

A Lockheed Martin team in Florida has been working round the clock the last seven months to prepare for this milestone moment when the Delta IV heavy-lift rocket lifts off with the Orion as payload.

The Orion capsule will be equipped with a Launch Abort System (LAS) that will rescue the crew in the event that an anomaly occurs on the launch pad, during descent or on re-entry. If the LAS is activated during the launch sequence, astronauts will be rocketed to safety and away from the launch vehicle.

Private U.S. aerospace company Lockheed Martin won the bid to design and build the Orion spacecraft in August 31, 2006. Lockheed Martin believes this project will become the first step in deep space exploration, said spokesperson Allison Rakes.

A couple of accidents, however, have jolted the aerospace industry, The Antares rocket exploded just seconds after liftoff last October 28 while Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo broke apart in mid-air, killing one pilot.

Agencies/Canadajournal