NASA successfully launches Orion capsule

NASA has successfully launched an Orion capsule, the successor to the space shuttle, for the first time. The capsule should eventually be used for long-distance travel, for example to Mars.

The launch was postponed on Thursday because a boat came too close to the launch pad and the weather conditions afterwards were too unfavorable. Those weather conditions initially did not appear to be much better on Friday – especially the high winds were a problem – but just after 1 pm the space shuttle successor was successfully launched.

This is a test flight: the capsule rises to an altitude of 5800 kilometers, after which it will make two orbits around the earth. The total test flight will take only four and a half hours; then the object lands in the sea. With the pilot mission, NASA wants to measure the amount of radiation, temperature and pressure in the cabin, among other things, to find out whether the capsule is suitable for manned travel.

The Orion is considered the successor to the Space Shuttle. Unlike the Shuttle, which is no longer in use, the new capsule uses parachutes for landing, while the Space Shuttle made landings like an airplane. The capsule is cone-shaped, because this would make the craft more aerodynamic, sturdier and better able to withstand the pressure and heat as it retreats through the atmosphere. The design thus resembles the old Apollo capsule. Orion consists of three parts: a Service Module at the bottom, above that the Crew Module with space for astronauts and on top the Launch Abort System including parachutes.

The Orion was developed for long manned space flights. For such flights, the capsule can accommodate up to four astronauts, but for shorter flights, such as to the ISS, there is a maximum of six. According to NASA, the Orion should even be able to be used for manned trips to Mars and asteroids. Orion’s next test will take place in 2018.