NASA's 1st Orion Spacecraft Test Flight in Photos

Orion Launch by Guillemette #3

hotographer Roger Guillemette took this photo of the launch of Orion spacecraft on Dec. 5, 2014, from a vantage point on the roof of the Vehicle Assembly Building, 525 feet (160 m.) above the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [Read full story.]

Orion Launch by Guillemette #2

Photographer Roger Guillemette took this photo of the launch of Orion spacecraft on Dec. 5, 2014, from a vantage point on the roof of the Vehicle Assembly Building, 525 feet (160 m.) above the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [Read full story.]

Orion Launch by Guillemette #1

Photographer Roger Guillemette took this photo of the launch of Orion spacecraft on Dec. 5, 2014, from a vantage point on the roof of the Vehicle Assembly Building, 525 feet (160 m.) above the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. [Read full story.]

Bolden Watches Orion Launch

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and his wife Jackie Bolden watch as the Delta 4 Heavy rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force at 7:05 a.m. EST, Dec. 5, 2014, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. [Read full story.]

Delta 4 Heavy and Orion on the Pad

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket stands ready to launch NASA's first Orion deep-space capsule on its debut test flight in this view taken from a helicopter flying over Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Dec. 4, 2014. The rocket is slated to launch on Dec. 5 after delays prevented a Dec. 4 liftoff.

Orion, Delta IV Heavy at SLC-37

At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, a Delta IV Heavy rocket was prepared to launch of NASA's Orion spacecraft on Dec. 4, 2014, but delays prevented the liftoff.

Orion in Launch Hold

A number of delays prevented the Orion capsule from launching as scheduled from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Dec. 4, 2014.

Orion on the Launch Pad

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Orion spacecraft stands on the launch pad after the Mobile Service Tower finished rolling back early on Dec. 4, 2014, at Cape Canaveral Air Force, Florida.

Sunrise Over Orion

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket housing the Orion space capsule sits on the launch pad in Florida on Dec. 4, 2014.

Orion Exploration Flight Test 1: Splashdown

Three main parachutes will slow NASA's Orion spacecraft for the final splashdown at the end of the Exploration Flight Test 1, an unmanned demonstration flight to test critical in-flight and re-entry systems.