More in

Orion spacecraft poised for maiden flight

A new chapter in space exploration is expected to open today with the planned maiden flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft.

The spacecraft was scheduled for launch from Cape Canaveral on a Delta IV-Heavy rocket at 1205 GMT for a two-orbit, four-hour flight but is currently delayed due to winds.

Designed for future manned deep space missions, the maiden flight will be used by NASA’s engineers to assess launch and high-speed re-entry systems including attitude control, parachutes and the heat shield.

In the following video engineer and launch team member Nujoud Merancy explains why Orion will enable multiple deep space missions.