THE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT BLOG: From the Space Shuttle to Beyond

NASA

Orion Update... Earlier today, the crew module barrel section for the Orion EFT-1 spacecraft arrived at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. The barrel section, which is 12.2 feet in diameter, will be attached to the EFT-1 vehicle prior to workers shipping the capsule to NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida this May. Once it arrives in Florida, final assembly work will be done on Orion at KSC's Operations and Checkout Building (as per the agreement that Lockheed Martin made with NASA when Lockheed won the Orion contract in 2006). Once construction is complete, 2013 will see Orion undergoing a multitude of post-assembly and pre-launch tests before it is mated to its Delta IV Heavy rocket for its much-anticipated test flight in 2014.


NASA


NASA