THE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT BLOG: From the Space Shuttle to Beyond

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, a full-size Orion test article arrives at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) after testing the ground route that actual flight hardware will take from the Operations and Checkout Facility (OCF) to the VAB, on November 14, 2012.

NASA / Dimitri Gerondidakis

Taking The Path to the Future... A full-size test article of the Orion spacecraft was recently transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to verify the ground route that the capsule was going to take from its processing facility to the VAB at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. The test article was first transported from the Operations and Checkout Facility (where actual Orion vehicles will undergo final assembly and launch processing) to the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at the KSC Industrial Area. The mockup was then driven several miles down the road to the VAB...where the real Orion will be mated with NASA's Space Launch System prior to being rolled out to the pad for launch.

At NASA's KSC in Florida, the full-size Orion test article departs from the OCF in the KSC Industrial Area, on November 14, 2012.

At NASA's KSC in Florida, the full-size Orion test article departs from the OCF in the KSC Industrial Area, on November 14, 2012.

NASA / Dimitri Gerondidakis

The first time that an actual flight-worthy Orion capsule will take to the streets of KSC will be two years from now. Instead of the VAB, however, the Orion EFT-1 vehicle will be transported to the neighboring Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to be mated with the Delta IV rocket that will launch Orion on its first unmanned test flight around September of 2014.

At NASA's KSC in Florida, the full-size Orion test article arrives at the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) after being transferred from the OCF in the KSC Industrial Area, on November 14, 2012.

At NASA's KSC in Florida, the full-size Orion test article arrives at the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) after being transferred from the OCF in the KSC Industrial Area, on November 14, 2012.

NASA / Dimitri Gerondidakis

At NASA's KSC in Florida, the full-size Orion test article departs from the MPPF and heads down the road to the VAB, on November 14, 2012.

At NASA's KSC in Florida, the full-size Orion test article departs from the MPPF and heads down the road to the VAB, on November 14, 2012.

NASA / Dimitri Gerondidakis

At NASA's KSC in Florida, the full-size Orion test article arrives at the VAB after testing the ground route that actual flight hardware will take from the OCF to the VAB, on November 14, 2012.

At NASA's KSC in Florida, the full-size Orion test article arrives at the VAB after testing the ground route that actual flight hardware will take from the OCF to the VAB, on November 14, 2012.

NASA / Dimitri Gerondidakis

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

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