Launch Abort System Roll to Pad

The vehicle for Orion’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test is moved along a route from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on May 22, 2019, in preparation for its launch this summer. During AA-2, a test version of Orion will launch on a booster to more than six miles in altitude, where Orion’s launch abort system will pull the capsule away to demonstrate it can keep a future crew inside safe if an emergency occurs during ascent on the Space Launch System rocket. The AA-2 elements will be stacked together at the launch pad over the next several weeks. The launch is planned for July 2 and is a critical safety test that helps pave the way for Artemis missions near the Moon, and will enable astronauts to set foot on the lunar surface by 2024.