The first test flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft, which is designed to carry humans deeper into space than ever before—and eventually to Mars—is set for launch tomorrow morning from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The launch window, which will last for 2 hours and 39 minutes, begins at 4:05 a.m. PST/7:05 a.m. EST. Meteorologists forecast a 70 percent chance of favorable weather. You can watch live coverage beginning at 1:30 a.m. PST/4:30 a.m. EST on NASA TV.
The Orion spacecraft and the Delta IV Heavy rocket is prepared for launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA/Kim Shiflett
Orion won’t have anyone onboard for its 4.5-hour, two-orbit trip, which will test some of the riskiest aspects of a spacecraft mission, such as launch, entry back through Earth’s atmosphere, the parachute system, and the heat shield, which will have to withstand temperatures of 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The new spacecraft will launch atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket, which will bring Orion into orbit at an altitude of 3,600 miles at its highest—15 times higher than the International Space Station. The space shuttle orbited at an altitude ranging from 190 miles to 330 miles. After two spins around the globe, Orion will return to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles southwest of San Diego.
Ride along with Orion by watching NASA’s video depicting the flight:
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