Jason Davis • December 4, 2014

In Pictures: Orion's Scrub, from the Vehicle Assembly Building

Orion’s Thursday morning launch attempt was scrubbed by high winds and faulty liquid hydrogen valves. Crowds of onlookers at the Kennedy Space Center and surrounding areas were treated to a pastel, Mars-tinted sunrise that eventually gave way to mostly clear skies. NASA and United Launch Alliance are gearing up for another retry attempt Friday, with a potential alternate date on Saturday.

Here are some scenes from launch day, shot from the unique perspective of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The iconic VAB stands 526 feet tall and was the home of the Saturn V moon rockets and the space shuttles. Orion’s eventual ride to orbit, the Space Launch System, will be stacked together here as well.

Jason Davis / The Planetary Society

Mars-tinted sky

A pastel sunrise greets NASA's Orion spacecraft as it sits atop its Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 37.

Jason Davis / The Planetary Society

Watching from the Mobile Launcher

Workers at the Kennedy Space Center line the top sections of the Mobile Launcher to watch Orion lift off for Exploration Flight Test 1. The moveable tower will eventually be used to launch the Space Launch System.

Jason Davis / The Planetary Society

VAB silhouettes

Photographers line the rail at the edge of the Vehicle Assembly Building prior to the scrubbed launch attempt of NASA's Orion spacecraft.

Jason Davis / The Planetary Society

The press site, from above

NASA's new digital countdown clock illuminates a small crowd of onlookers near the Kennedy Space Center press site. Inflatable versions of Orion and the Space Launch System sit nearby.

Jason Davis / The Planetary Society

Safety engineer selfie

A group of safety engineers and NASA employees pose for a selfie on top of the Vehicle Assembly Building prior to the scrubbed attempt of Orion's launch.

Jason Davis / The Planetary Society

Listening to the countdown net

Photographers and media escorts huddle around a broadcast of the United Launch Alliance countdown net for updates on Orion's maiden voyage.

Jason Davis

Journalist and Digital Editor for The Planetary Society
Read more articles by Jason Davis

Let's Change the World

Become a member of The Planetary Society and together we will create the future of space exploration.

Join Today

LightSail

LightSail 2 will launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon Heavy. Be part of this epic point in space exploration history!

Donate