NASA's Orion Test Flight May Be The First Step To A Human Mars Visit

Tomorrow, NASA is set to launch the first in-space test of its new Orion spacecraft. The mission could mark the beginning of America’s return to human space exploration and, even, a manned journey to Mars.

The plan is to launch Orion from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and send it twice into a 3,600-mile-high orbit of Earth before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico.

The test is predicted to take less than five hours, but researchers say the information learned will be critical to future flights, set to go farther into space.

Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson spoke with veteran space reporter Kelly Beatty for the full picture on Orion.

• See more information and photos via NASA

Guest

• J. Kelly Beatty, senior contributing editor, Sky & Telescope Magazine. He tweets @NightSkyGuy.

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