Two Boosters Complete for Orion Spacecraft's First Flight Test

Seeing these rocket boosters roll out headed for the Cape is a testament of the hard work taking place to help further NASA’s space exploration goals.”

One of two completed boosters for the Delta IV Heavy rocket that will launch Orion on its first flight to space this fall is loaded onto a barge for transport to Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Image Credit: 

NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given

During the flight test, Orion will travel 3,600 miles into space -- farther than a spacecraft built for humans has been in more than 40 years -- and orbit the Earth twice. The capsule will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds approaching 20,000 mph, generating temperatures as high as 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

The uncrewed flight will provide engineers with important data about Orion's heat shield and other elements, including the spacecraft adapter’s performance. The spacecraft adapter will connect Orion to the Delta IV and also will connect Orion to NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), on its first mission in 2017. The adapter was completed earlier this month at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and will be delivered to ULA in mid-March. SLS, NASA's new rocket, will be capable of taking humans to deep space missions, including Mars.

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