DENVER – A spaceship Lockheed Martin is building for NASA is being prepared for the next round of tests as engineers attach a tower designed to lift the ship and its astronauts to safety if something goes wrong during launch.
Lockheed Martin said Friday the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and abort system will be subjected to sound vibration tests at the company's facility near Denver.
The vibrations will emulate the sound pressure levels of a launch and deployment of the abort system.
Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., has a $7.5 billion contract to build the Orion capsule. It was originally intended for use in a Moon mission that President Barack Obama canceled last year.
NASA says Orion will take four astronauts on 21-day trips. The destination hasn't been determined.
