Orion Launch Scrubbed, Next Window Opens 7:05 a.m. Friday
By Space Coast Daily // December 4, 2014
issue with valves on the Delta IV Heavy rocket
UPDATE: Today’s planned launch of Orion is postponed due to valve issue. The next possible launch window opens at 7:05 a.m. ET Friday
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FLORIDA – The launch of Orion’s flight test was scrubbed Thursday because of an issue related to fill and drain valves on the Delta IV Heavy rocket that teams could not troubleshoot by the time the launch window expired.
The next launch window opens at 7:05 a.m. Eastern on Friday, Dec. 5.
This flight test will send the uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a two-orbit flight to test critical systems for the challenges of deep space missions.
During the 4.5-hour flight, Orion will travel farther than any crewed spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years, before reentering Earth’s atmosphere at speeds near 20,000 mph and generating temperatures up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Orion will orbit 3,600 miles above Earth before splashing down in the Pacific. Orion is being designed to carry astronauts on exploration missions into deep space, including a trip to an asteroid and eventually to Mars.
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