It’s been a big week for NASA as the first steps toward landing a human-carrying spacecraft on Mars were taken just a few days ago. On Friday, December 5, the Orion spacecraft successfully completed its first test flight. Orion lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida at 7:05 EST, revolved around the Earth twice, and landed in the Pacific ocean all within four and a half hours. The purpose of this unmanned flight was to test Orion’s many features and ensure the safety and durability of the spacecraft during manned missions. It was an exciting day, not only for NASA and the United States, but for everyone with an interest in space exploration. NASA predicts that humans will be lifting off in Orion in the 2020s decade, which is not too far from now.
For more detailed information on what Orion did during its test flight, check out the video above.