General Discussion Orion's Successful Test Flight Brings Us Closer to Mars

[Shawn Hopkins]

Shawn Hopkins submitted a new blog post:

Orion's Successful Test Flight Brings Us Closer to Mars

On Friday NASA successfully launched and recovered its Orion spacecraft, a critical test for future Mars missions.

The spacecraft took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a Delta IV heavy rocket. During the 4.5 hour test it reached an altitude of 3,600 miles, successfully achieved orbit, re-entered the atmosphere and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean.

“We really pushed Orion as much as we could to give us real data that we can use to improve...

Continue reading the Original Blog Post

 

[JessiFox]

Well, I'm not sure *how* close we are to Mars, but that is exciting news for sure.

 

[Miles Hansen]

I'm convinced, as is most of the space-sience community, that we will put men (or women) on Mars in my lifetime, which is amazing. To be alive at a time where all of this is happening is truly amazing! I feel so lucky.