Orion

Overview:

Orion is a manned spacecraft designed to be placed upon the SLS. At 7:05 AM EST on December 5, 2014, the Orion capsule was launched for its first test flight, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean about 4.5 hours later but not long after was cancelled due to its nuclear propulsion. The spacecraft was designed to use “nuclear pulse propulsive” engines which meant that it would release explosions behind the craft making it more effective than any other spacecraft. Everything was set into place up until the “Partial Test Ban Treaty” which banned nuclear explosions in space which meant that the design would never see the light of day again.