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Ascent Abort-2 Flight Test Complete

The critical launch abort system for NASA's Orion spacecraft was put to its hardest test and it demonstrated the capability to pull the crew module and future astronauts to safety during a launch if there is an emergency. The Ascent Abort-2 flight test is a major test milestone that is enabling the safe passage of astronauts aboard Orion on the Artemis missions to the Moon and then Mars. 

About the AA-2 Test:

A test version of the Orion crew module with a fully active launch abort system will launch on a booster from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. 

The launch abort system will initiate at an altitude of about six miles as Orion faces the greatest aerodynamic pressure during ascent, traveling at more than 1,000 miles per hour. The system will pull the crew module away from its booster and orient it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The test will take less than three minutes.

What We Learn:

Test data from 890 sensors will be sent in real-time to ground sites as well as recorded on board by 12 data recorders. The 12 data recorders will eject from the crew module before Orion reaches the water and will be retrieved after the test. 

Orion is the only spacecraft built for deep space exploration and tests like AA-2 get us closer to safely landing on the Moon in 2024.

Orion Capsule: Designed for Deep Space

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor building NASA's Orion, the only spacecraft designed for long-duration, human deep space exploration. Orion will transport astronauts to interplanetary destinations beyond low Earth orbit, such as the Moon and eventually Mars, and return them safely back to Earth.


Backup Systems

This unique space exploration vehicle was built with backup systems so astronauts can get back home safely in an emergency. From triple-redundant flight computers to 45 engines, our engineers focus on every detail.

Radiation Protection

Orion is constructed with an advanced storm shelter specifically designed to protect the crew against deadly radiation storms - one of the most intense challenges facing teams whose goal is to send humans to and from Mars.

Interplanetary Travel

The Orion space capsule is capable of traveling to the Moon, or trekking to Mars on a 1,000-day mission in deep space.

Thermal Protection

Thermal protection keeps the crew module at a balmy 72 degrees inside, whether it’s -300 degrees or 5,200 degrees outside.

Life Support

The Orion spacecraft is designed with a life support system that clears out heat and moisture during exercise, keeping the crew safe and healthy over long-duration missions.

Orion Design Components


Artemis 1

The Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft is undergoing assembly and test at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA and Lockheed Martin are approaching the end of Orion’s development phase, having successfully tackled many of the toughest engineering challenges associated with human exploration of deep space. The team remains on track for Artemis 1 in 2020 and Artemis 2, the first crewed flight, as early as 2022.


Additional Information

Gary Napier