NASA tests its Orion capsule for the first time

The Orion capsule, after its December 2014 test flight. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

In December, NASA carried out a successful test of its Orion capsule — a spacecraft that it hopes to use to carry astronauts into deep space. Plans are still uncertain, but NASA's stated goal for Orion is to eventually use it to put humans on Mars.
This first test, with an uncrewed capsule, was a success, with the craft making two orbits of the Earth, including one at an altitude of 3,600 miles. This is more than ten times higher up than the International Space Station, and farther away from Earth than any crewable craft has traveled since 1972.