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NASA on Friday morning took one massive step toward its journey to Mars, successfully sending its Orion spacecraft farther into the cosmos than any manned ship before it. No humans were actually aboard today\u2019s flight\u2014it was all autonomous\u2014but today\u2019s test was designed to prove NASA\u2019s technology can withstand the perils of space. I\u2019m talking temperatures of more than 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees Celsius), heavy radiation, and traveling at more than 20,000 mph (32,000 kph). All said, Orion orbited the Earth twice, flying 3,600 miles above Earth at its highest point.<\/p>\n
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Today\u2019s launch was actually delayed from yesterday after unfavorable weather and technical issues (there was also the mystery of a stray boat). But after that minor setback, Orion\u2019s test flight went off without a hitch, lasting precisely 4 hours and 24 minutes. The next step is an unmanned mission around the moon in the next few years, and an even more ambitious goal to launch astronauts aboard the spacecraft by the 2020s to explore an asteroid. The larger picture is to use Orion to shuttle humans to Mars.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrion will open the space between Earth and Mars for exploration by astronauts,\u201d NASA said earlier this month. \u201cThe area around our moon, in particular, called cis-lunar space, is a rich environment for testing human exploration needs, like advanced spacewalking suits, navigating using gravity, and protecting astronauts from radiation and extreme temperatures.\u201d<\/p>\n
Splashdown! #Orion<\/a> completes a critical step on our #JourneytoMars<\/a>.<\/p>\n