We Have Lift Off of the Orion Spacecraft

 Article posted by Florida Gazette Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Cape Canaveral-The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy with Orion atop it lifted off at 7:05 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Orion will orbit Earth twice, reaching a peak altitude of 3,600 miles during its trip. The spacecraft is scheduled to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in approximately 4.5 hours.
Orion’s flight test is a critical step on NASA's journey to Mars.

Crew Module Cabin the Focus for Weekend at Cape Canaveral

Article and Photo Credit NASA
Engineers and technicians prepping Orion for its first flight test Dec. 4 began putting the finishing touches inside the crew cabin today at Cape Canaveral in Florida and will continue the work through the weekend. Although Orion will not carry any people on its flight test, it’s designed for astronauts, and engineers want to find out what conditions will be like inside the cabin as Orion travels through high radiation and extreme temperatures during this flight test. Launch pad teams also will start on a lengthy list of closeout duties to make sure Orion and its vital instruments and recorders are ready for space. The steps will set the stage for the first launch week in Orion’s career. The spacecraft and its United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket are on track to lift off Thursday at 7:05 a.m. EST, the opening of a 2 hour, 39-minute window for the day.