NASA's Orion spacecraft will get humans one step closer to Mars

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NASA is about to embark on a journey that will usher in a new era for Americans in space

Set to launch just after 7 a.m. ET, Orion is unmanned — for now. The spacecraft is capable of carrying humans deeper into space, beyond the moon and the Apollo missions. NASA's ultimate goal for Orion, however, is to use the vehicle for a roundtrip manned Mars mission

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Orion is aiming for two orbits on this inaugural run. On the second lap around the home planet, the spacecraft should reach a peak altitude of 3,600 miles, high enough to ensure a re-entry speed of 20,000 mph and an environment of 4,000 degrees. Splashdown will be in the Pacific off the Mexican Baja coast, where Navy ships already are waiting. Read more...

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