CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA has conducted a full-up launch abort test for the Orion capsules designed to carry astronauts to the moon.
The crew capsule was empty for Tuesday morning's demo at Cape Canaveral, which NASA said appeared to be successful.
Barely a minute after liftoff, the abort motor fired, pulling the capsule from the booster six miles up. The capsule continued upward, then flipped to jettison the abort tower.
NASA chose not to use parachutes, and so the capsule crashed into the Atlantic, the brief full-stress test complete.
This was the second abort test for Orion. The first, in New Mexico in 2010, was lower and slower.
Last October, a launch abort system on a Russian rocket saved the lives of two astronauts.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA is testing a critical safety feature on its Orion crew capsule Tuesday.
The 4-hour launch window opens up at 7 a.m.
NASA wants to make sure astronauts can safely escape from the launch vehicle if there are problems after liftoff.
This will be one of a number of test conducted by NASA and its industry partners to prove that space systems meet the agency's requirements for certification to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
NASA is targeting the return of human spaceflight from Florida's Space Coast this year.
