Lockheed Martin has put in place two launch abort system motors at the White Sands missile range in New Mexico, ahead of the first flight test of NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle. The test, known as Pad Abort 1, is part of a series of ground and flight events planned over the next few years.
Orion's first crewed flight to the International Space Station is scheduled for 2015. As prime contractor, Lockheed is responsible for designing and building the spacecraft. The LAS, which sits atop Orion, is designed to activate within milliseconds in the event of any emergency on the launch pad or during the initial ascent phase.
Source: Flight Daily News
