Orion

[IndigoErth]

So NASA's Orion got up there on it's short test flight today and returned home safely. (Well, in the relative safety of the Pacific Ocean.)

Earlier this fall they invited people to submit their names which would go along with it on a microchip.

http://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/orion-first-flight/

Congratulations of Your First Test Flight on NASA's #JourneytoMars!

Thanks to people worldwide for coming aboard Orion's Flight Test, December 5, 2014.

With one 4½-hour flight Friday, the new spacecraft series that NASA hopes will take astronauts to Mars passed its first test above Earth.

Though Orion's first flight didn't have people on it, it didn't go up empty. It carried the names of more than a million people packed on a dime-sized microchip.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/05/tech/innovation/nasa-orion-launch/

"1379961 Boarding Passes Submitted"

Any "fellow travelers" here? Albeit "passengers" are only on board in spirit. ;)


NASA via Facebook:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/p180x540/10353720_10152498857593091_754869543940467158_n.jp g?oh=137eeda843e621dae5f42ff5564a829e&oe=551CBCC4&__gda__=1426584060_734835466e7b1c51d1f536e7e060b3a 8

"A camera in the window of NASA's Orion spacecraft looks back at Earth during its unpiloted flight test in orbit."
Photo Credit: NASA Television
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10015166_10152498529363091_6893758026871991196_n.j pg?oh=b2f4f9304e136949a8ddf7633eb7a2c3&oe=55056EE1&__gda__=1426608030_3849149351ac5519c8f2d24592fc6dc e

http://mars.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/?ImageID=6749
http://mars.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/?ImageID=6748

[BubblyShell22]

I heard about this, and I think it's awesome. So you were one of the people who's names were on the flight, Indigo? That's awesome.

[IndigoErth]

Yup :) Back in early October, mine and a couple others I put in. (I dunno if NASA only wanted real names, but I admit there might also have been one submitted as a certain pop culture reference.http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/1247.gif)

[Katie]

I just love all things space travel. I grew up in a big NASA town and went to schools named after the Apollo one guys.

There's just something so exciting about watching a huge rocket peel up into the sky and feeling that deep rumble and hearing that deafening roar.

I'm a sucker for all those space race type documentaries too.

I'm looking forward to watching all the upcoming missions on Orion :D

[IndigoErth]

I just love all things space travel. I grew up in a big NASA town and went to schools named after the Apollo one guys.
That is awesome :D

I wish I'd have gotten to see one of the shuttles go up (live too far away), however I did have the pleasure of "meeting" Discovery on my b-day just a few days after it had gotten to it's new home at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center. So amazing being able to get that close to it and hard to wrap the mind around where it's been and what it had been through. Hope to get over there again eventually and see it's finalized display. They were still doing a little decommissioning and whatnot (and still wore the end cap from the flight over) when we saw it which was neat.

[BubblyShell22]

Yeah, space travel is neat. One of my friends went to Florida when Sen. John Glenn went up for his second flight, which was cool. I remember we watched it on TV and even watched it coming home, too.

[Katie]

Hehe. The air and space museum is amazing.

I grew up where they built the booster rockets in Huntsville, AL. I lost a ton of collectibles off shelves when they'd fire the rockets up on the testing pad. I only lived a few miles away. It was something else.

[IndigoErth]

I lost a ton of collectibles off shelves when they'd fire the rockets up on the testing pad. I only lived a few miles away. It was something else.lol >.< Guess that's kind of bitter sweet to live so close.

[blindturtle02]

Well at least I know not to put my Star Wars vehicles or other collectables on shelves if I ever move close to a rocket testing site. The results would be hilarious for some but sad and costly for me. I also love space travel. Should really look into getting models of some of this real world stuff. I'll also be watching Orion's career with great interest.