NASA is set to test the Orion launch escape system in the Ascent Abort-2 mission, which will be used to verify the spacecraft’s abort system that is designed to pull the crew module away from an emergency during its ascent to space. A booster will throw the test capsule about six miles into the atmosphere to experience high-stress aerodynamic conditions during approximately three minutes of flight. Once that happens, the abort sequence will trigger to carry the crew module a safe distance from the rocket. Read more for a video tour of Orion and additional information.
NASA Television will broadcast the launch and prelaunch activities live for the Ascent Abort-2 flight test, with the four-hour launch window beginning at 7 a.m. EDT Tuesday, July 2. A test crew module will launch from Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida wit coverage starting at 6:40 a.m. This test flight is being conducted to ensure the safety of astronauts in the unlikely event an emergency arises as they rocket into space.