After yesterday’s failed attempt at a launch, Orion is finally off on its journey.
“Liftoff at dawn! The dawn of Orion, for a new era of American space exploration,” stated Mike Curie, commentator for the launch.
Friday’s launch went off without a hitch, sending the Delta IV Heavy rocket off at 7:05 a.m. This was a welcomed change of events after yesterday’s issues involving high winds, and a malfunctioning fuel and drain valve. Despite efforts to resolve the technical issues, they were not able to launch before the launch window closed at 9:44 a.m.
No humans are on-board for today’s test mission. The purpose of this flight is to ensure that Orion’s systems are fully functional. During the flight, Orion will complete two orbits of Earth, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
According to NASA, the specific tests today focus on high speed re-entry systems, such as avionics, attitude control, parachutes and the heat shield.
Assuming all tests perform well, Orion will eventually carry crews into deep space, support astronauts during their missions, and provide a safe re-entry.
If you missed the launch this morning, NASA has uploaded a recoding here.
bit.ly/1wDOT2c
