December 5, 2014

The Orion spacecraft blasting off atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket (Photo NASA / Bill Ingalls)

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The Orion spacecraft was launched in its Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) mission, its first test flight, on a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral. It performed a series of maneuvers in orbit, also passing through the Van Allen belts. After about four hours, the Crew Module separated from the rest of the spacecraft to splash down after a little while in the Pacific Ocean completing the test. U.S. Navy ships collaborate with NASA for the recovery of the Orion.

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One of the two satellites of the Galileo constellation launched into the wrong on August 22, 2014 has been recovered. The series of 11 maneuvers planned last month to change its orbit was successfully accomplished across 17 days. On November 29, the satellite has been activated and sent the first navigation signals. Therefore ESA has begun the normal test phase and soon a similar series of maneuvers is scheduled for the other satellite in the wrong orbit.