A Delta IV Heavy rocket thundered into orbit today from Space Launch Complex 37B carrying the very first Orion Spacecraft into orbit. This mission, labelled Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) is unmanned and will test Orion's onboard systems and heat shield for a re-entry from lunar missions. <br /> <br />Liftoff occurred at 12:05 UTC, December 5th 2014, Orion will separate from the second stage at around 3 hours into flight before re-entering Earth's atmosphere and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. <br /> <br />Launch was delayed from December 4th due to ground winds, and then problems with fill and drain valves on the Delta IV rocket.
