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![Testing Orion's Abort Features]()
In the test, conducted at the White Sands Missile Range in the barren southern New Mexico desert, the Orion capsule was catapulted about a mile into the air and landed about 1 mile north of the launch site. The unmanned capsule left a stream of white smoke as it arched toward the north. Several hundred people watched the test early Thursday morning.![Orion_on_Launch_Pad]()
Orion is only one small element of the now-cancelled plans to replace the aged space shuttle program, a program called Constellation. NASA would have replaced the shuttle with a heavy lift rocket, called Ares, and the Orion capsule to transport crew members.![Orion_Launch]()
The test Thursday morning were aimed at Orion's launch-abort system, which will whisk astronauts and the capsule to safety in case of a problem on the launch pad, such as a fire, or during the climb to orbit.![Orion_Launch_2]()
It will be one hour after Thursday's launch before NASA can determine if the test was a success.![Orion Launch]()
Here, the capsule separates from the supposedly malfunctioning rocket carrying it into space and begins abort procedures.![Orion_Abort_Test_2]()
A close-up shot of the capsule, intended to carry crew members into space, separating from the rocket transporting it.![Orion_Abort_Test_3]()
The rocket separates successfully from the rocket.![Orion Abort Test]()
![Orion Chutes Deployed]()
The first of three parachutes deploys, which will eventually bring the capsule safely back to the desert floor.![Orion Chutes Deployed]()
The capsule descends, depending from three parachutes that safely lowered it to the desert sands below.NASA Tests Its Orion Capsule
NASA engineers conducted a test Thursday morning of the Orion crew capsule -- the only element the space agency plans to save from the cancelled space shuttle replacement program.
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- NASA Tests Its Orion Capsule
