Deep Space Comes One Step Closer

by scienceonthewing

The first deep space craft for the United States, Orion, has powered up for the first time, in preparation for it’s first test launch scheduled for fall of 2014.

Orion is a new type of craft designed to move both both crew and cargo further into space than any human has ever been before paving the way for human exploration of Mars and asteroid research.  

Although this initial test launch, EFT-1, will be from a Delta IV Heavy, NASA has in development, an all new rocket, Space Launch System, that will be the workhorse of the new program scheduled to begin in 2017 with Exploration Mission-1.

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For more about Orion:

 http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/mpcv/#.UnAdvRb_niY

 

Image credit: Lockheed Martin