Orion spacecraft arrives in Florida – one step closer to humans on Mars

The Orion spacecraft pressure vessel arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre where it will undergo vital tests ahead of Exploration Mission-1.  The Orion’s Exploration Mission-1 is due to launch in 2018 where the unmanned vessel will fly beyond the moon. It is due to travel for 3 weeks to test its capacity for future deep space travel.


Why is it such a big deal? Eventually deep space travel will be done with a crew and the pressure vessel will provide life support for its passengers. Humans were originally planned to board in 2021 but NASA believes it is more likely we send off a crew in 2023. NASA is planning on using the Orion to send humans to Mars in the 2030s.



The Orion was transported by the impressive Super Guppy, an aircraft that was originally designed during the Apollo programme and used to transport parts of the Saturn V rocket from California to Florida. The Super Guppy allows NASA to fly parts all around the world due to the size of the cargo hold:

• 25 feet tall

• 25 feet wide

• 111 feet long

• Carries over 26 tons

The aircraft even has a hinged nose that opens at an angle allowing for easy access to the cargo hold. The aircraft not only carries precious cargo but also the hopes of NASA landing humans on Mars.

 

Want to know why we explore Mars? We interviewed

some experts to find out more.