Orion – Page 13 – Spaceflight Now

NASA’s first Orion capsule delivered to launch pad

November 12, 2014 Justin Ray

NASA’s Orion spacecraft took a road trip to the launch pad Tuesday night, arriving at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 37 where a Delta 4-Heavy rocket awaits flight of the new capsule on Dec. 4.

Weather delays Orion move to pad

November 10, 2014 Justin Ray

Bad weather has delayed by 24 hours NASA’s next-generation Orion capsule from rolling out to the launch pad for its flight test next month.

Orion is ready to roll

November 9, 2014 Justin Ray

The Orion spacecraft sits inside the Launch Abort System Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida awaiting its rollout to the launch pad Monday night. The spacecraft will be moved to Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for its flight test, flying aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket.

Video: Orion EFT 1 animation

November 8, 2014 Justin Ray

Mike Sarafin, NASA’s lead Orion flight director, narrates animation depicting the Exploration Flight Test 1 from liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

Orion orbital trace

November 7, 2014 Justin Ray

NASA’s Orion spacecraft will fly a two-orbit, four-hour mission for Exploration Flight Test No. 1 in Earth orbit to test systems.

Video: Preview of Orion’s recovery

November 7, 2014 Justin Ray

Jeremy Graeber, Orion recovery director, details how the NASA-Navy team will handle the Exploration Flight Test No. 1 after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.

Video: Learn about the Orion flight test launching in December

November 6, 2014 Spaceflight Now

Delta 4 passes countdown rehearsal before Orion launch

November 6, 2014 Justin Ray

A countdown dress rehearsal and rocket fueling exercise was completed at Cape Canaveral for next month’s launch of NASA’s Orion crew module atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy booster.

Engineers recommend changes to Orion heat shield

November 5, 2014 Stephen Clark

Lessons learned during preparations leading up to the first orbital test flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft in December have prompted engineers to recommend changing the design of the crew capsule’s heat shield for future missions to the moon, Mars, or an asteroid, according to Lockheed Martin officials.

Photo gallery: Delta 4-Heavy moved to launch pad

October 2, 2014 Justin Ray

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket for Exploration Flight Test-1 is rolled to the launch pad and lifted to the vertical position.