KSC-2013-1572

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A mockup of the Launch Abort System, or LAS, is lifted inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida so it can be positioned atop a boilerplate Orion capsule and replica service module during test stacking operations. The Orion spacecraft is being designed to carry astronauts on missions beyond Earth orbit. It will have the LAS during the first part of launch in case an emergency develops that requires the spacecraft to be pulled away from the rocket to save the crew. NASA's Ground Services Development and Operations Program, or GSDO, performed the test operations. Photo credit: NASA_Charisse Nahser