Orion Underway Recovery Test 5 (URT-5) Trip - "52 Weeks of Scien

Students prepare to participate in hands-on science activities at the Logan Heights Library in San Diego, California, during the “52 Weeks of Science” celebration. The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program is participating in the special event with a Journey to Mars display before the start of Underway Recovery Test 5 using a test version of the Orion spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. The test will allow NASA, Orion manufacturer Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Navy to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel necessary for recovery of the Orion crew module on its return from a deep space mission. Orion is the exploration spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to destinations not yet explored by humans, including an asteroid and NASA Journey to Mars. It will have emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion is scheduled to launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket in 2018. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion.