NASA's Orion spacecraft completes its first successful deep space flight test
In short: Following a successful December 2014 flight test, NASA's Orion capsule is returning to Kennedy Space Center for evaluation. This mission marks a significant step toward future human exploration of Mars by testing critical crew safety systems in deep space.
On December 5, 2014, the Orion spacecraft completed a two-orbit, 4.5-hour flight, traveling further than any human-rated vehicle in over four decades. The mission utilized more than 1,200 onboard sensors to gather performance data, which is essential for developing the technologies required for future crewed missions to Mars.
After splashing down in the Pacific Ocean approximately 600 miles southwest of San Diego, the capsule was recovered by a joint team from NASA, the U.S. Navy, and Lockheed Martin aboard the USS Anchorage. The spacecraft is now headed to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where engineers will analyze the flight data to refine the capsule's design for deep space travel.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Orion is back on This Week @NASA - December 12, 2014
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