Orion Soars on First Flight Test
Orion Soars on First Flight Test

NASA’s Orion spacecraft launched successfully atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket Dec.

5 at 7:05 a.m.

EST from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Orion’s Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), is the first flight test for NASA’s new deep space capsule and is a critical step on NASA's journey to Mars.

The 4.5 hour flight is scheduled to conclude with the splashdown of Orion in the Pacific Ocean.