Exploration Flight Test-1
First uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft crew module.
Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), also known as Orion Flight Test-1, was a technology demonstration mission and the first flight test of the crew module portion of the Orion spacecraft. Launched without a crew on December 5, 2014, at 12:05 EST (17:05 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, it used a Delta IV Heavy rocket. The mission was a four-hour, two-orbit test that validated systems for future crewed flights, including a high-energy reentry at around 20,000 miles per hour, similar to the Apollo AS-201 and AS-202 missions of 1966.
- Launch date
- December 5, 2014, at 12:05 EST (17:05 UTC)
Lore & Background
The Orion CM-001 used on EFT-1 was built by Lockheed Martin. Final welds were completed on June 22, 2012, at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, after which the spacecraft was transported to Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building for completion. The Delta IV rocket was placed in a vertical position on October 1, 2014, and Orion was mated with the vehicle on November 11. The mission tested separation events, avionics, heat shield performance, parachutes, and recovery operations. Because the European Service Module was not yet available, Orion flew with a structural representation and a partial launch abort system. It relied on internal batteries for power rather than photovoltaic arrays.
Reader's Guide
EFT-1 served as a precursor to Orion's first mission aboard the Space Launch System on Artemis I. Data returned from the flight informed Orion's design and were incorporated into its critical design review in April 2015, helping pave the way for Artemis I, which launched on November 16, 2022, more than seven years after EFT-1. The mission's high apogee and reentry speed exposed the heat shield to temperatures up to around 4,000 °F (2,200 °C), validating its performance for lunar return conditions. After splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, crews from the USS Anchorage recovered the crew vehicle. The Orion capsule is now on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the 'NASA Now' exhibit. NASA heavily promoted the mission, collaborating with Sesame Street to educate children about the flight test.
Did You Know?
- EFT-1 was launched on December 5, 2014, at 12:05 EST (17:05 UTC) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
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