Orion Spacecraft Arrives in Ohio Aboard the Super Guppy at Mansfield Lahm Airport, Orion Program manager Mark Kirasich

The Orion program management team reviews the launch procedure in Building AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station ahead of the launch of Orion on Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) on Dec. 4, 2014. Pictured from left to right: Mike Hawes, Lockheed Martin Orion program manager, Mark Geyer, NASA Orion program manager, and Mark Kirasich, NASA Orion deputy program manager. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

The NASA/Lockheed Martin leadership team watches the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) launch outside Hanger AE at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Dec. 5, 2014. Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa, Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Jackie Bolden, Orion Deputy Program Manager Mark Kirasich, NASA Astronaut John Casper. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, left, is shown the Orion test crew capsule that will be used for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test by Orion AA-2 Crew Module Manager Dr. Jon Olansen, 2nd from left, with Orion Program Manager Mark Kirasich, and NASA Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer, right, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Orion AA-2 Crew Module Manager Dr. Jon Olansen, left, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer, and Orion Program Manager Mark Kirasich, right, are seen inside the Orion test crew capsule for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Lockheed Martin Program Manager Mike Hawes, Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer, and Orion Deputy Program Manager Mike Kirasich watch Orion's Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) reentry sequence in Building AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on a live stream from the Ikhana aircraft on Dec. 5, 2014. The Orion spacecraft orbited Earth twice, reaching an altitude of approximately 3,600 miles above Earth before landing. No one was aboard Orion for this flight test, but the spacecraft is designed to allow us to journey to destinations never before visited by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, left, is shown the Orion test crew capsule that will be used for the Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) test by Orion AA-2 Crew Module Manager Dr. Jon Olansen, 2nd from left, as Orion Program Manager Mark Kirasich, right, looks on, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

jsc2017e011392 (01/30/2017) --- NASA Center Directors and the Orion Program Manager watch the NASA Super Bowl Virtual Reality ride, move up on its Journey to Mars and back experience Jan 30, 2017.. This is one of the most popular experiences in the Houston Texas Super Bowl Future Flight activities at the Discovery Green. Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana (far Left) Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa, Marshal Space Flight Center Director Todd May and Orion Program Manager Mark Kirasich all enjoy the sight as they prepare to take the journey themselves. NASA PHOTOGRAPHER: Bill Stafford

During a "Powering Exploration Mission-1" ceremony in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 16, 2018, Phillippe Deloo, left, European Service Module program manager at the European Space Agency (ESA); and Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston, answer questions. The event was held to mark a major milestone, the arrival of the European Service Module (ESM) for Orion's Exploration Mission-1. The service module, built by the European Space Agency, will supply the main propulsion system and power to the Orion spacecraft during EM-1, a mission to the Moon. The ESM also will house air and water for astronauts on future missions. EM-1 will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration to destinations beyond Earth orbit. EM-1 will be the first integrated test of NASA's Space Launch System, Orion and the ground systems at Kennedy.

During a "Powering Exploration Mission-1" ceremony in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 16, 2018, Mark Kirasich, left, Orion Program manager at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston; and Sue Motil, Orion European Service Module integration manager at the agency's Glenn Research Center, answer questions. The event was held to mark a major milestone, the arrival of the European Service Module (ESM) for Orion's Exploration Mission-1. The service module, built by the European Space Agency, will supply the main propulsion system and power to the Orion spacecraft during EM-1, a mission to the Moon. The ESM also will house air and water for astronauts on future missions. EM-1 will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration to destinations beyond Earth orbit. EM-1 will be the first integrated test of NASA's Space Launch System, Orion and the ground systems at Kennedy.

Orion Chief Engineer Julie and Deputy Program Manager Mark Kirasich celebrate Orion's successful Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) mission in Building AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Dec. 5, 2014. The Orion spacecraft orbited Earth twice, reaching an altitude of approximately 3,600 miles above Earth before landing. No one was aboard Orion for this flight test, but the spacecraft is designed to allow us to journey to destinations never before visited by humans, including an asteroid and Mars. Part of Batch image transfer from Flickr.

jsc2017e011382 (01/30/2017) --- Ready to take the Journey to Mars and back, a virtual reality experience at the Houston Texas Super Bowl, the Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana (far right), Johnson Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa, Marshal Space Flight Center Director Todd May and the Orion Program Manager Mark Kirasich have been fitted with virtual headsets and are ready for the flight to begin. The Orion capsule will rise high above, some 90 feet, then drop suddenly to match and enhance the reality experience. The ride is part of the NASA Future Flight experience at the Super Bowl events in the Houston’s Discovery Green. NASA PHOTOGRAPHER: Bill Stafford

NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) senior managers answer questions during a "Powering Exploration Mission-1" ceremony in the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 16, 2018. From left, are Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development; Phillippe Deloo, European Service Module program manager at ESA; Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston; Sue Motil, Orion European Service Module integration manager at the agency's Glenn Research Center; and Jan Worner, ESA director general. The event was held to mark a major milestone, the arrival of the European Service Module (ESM) for Orion's Exploration Mission-1. The service module, built by the European Space Agency, will supply the main propulsion system and power to the Orion spacecraft during EM-1, a mission to the Moon. The ESM also will house air and water for astronauts on future missions. EM-1 will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration to destinations beyond Earth orbit. EM-1 will be the first integrated test of NASA's Space Launch System, Orion and the ground systems at Kennedy.

Kennedy Space Center Associate Director Kelvin Manning, far left, moderates questions to NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) senior managers during the "Powering Exploration Mission-1" ceremony in the high bay of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the center on Nov. 16, 2016. From left, are Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator for Exploration Systems Development; Phillippe Deloo, European Service Module program manager at ESA; Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston; Sue Motil, Orion European Service Module integration manager at the agency's Glenn Research Center; and Jan Worner, ESA director general. The event was held to mark a major milestone, the arrival of the European Service Module (ESM) for Orion's Exploration Mission-1. The service module, built by the European Space Agency, will supply the main propulsion system and power to the Orion spacecraft during EM-1, a mission to the Moon. The ESM also will house air and water for astronauts on future missions. EM-1 will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration to destinations beyond Earth orbit. EM-1 will be the first integrated test of NASA's Space Launch System, Orion and the ground systems at Kennedy.

Orion Program Manager Mark Kirasich speaks at the European Service Module arrival event at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 16, 2018...For the first time, NASA will use a European-built system as a critical element to power an American spacecraft, extending the international cooperation of the International Space Station into deep space. The European Service Module is a unique collaboration across space agencies and industry including ESA’s prime contractor, Airbus, and 10 European countries. The completion of service module work in Europe and shipment to Kennedy signifies a major milestone toward NASA’s human deep space exploration missions to the Moon and beyond.

Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager, participates in a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 1, 2019. For AA-2, a test version of the Orion spacecraft attached to a fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) will launch atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

From left, Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager; and Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut, participate in a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 1, 2019. For AA-2, a test version of the Orion spacecraft attached to a fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) will launch atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

From left, Jenny Devolites, AA-2 Crew Module manager; Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager; and Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut, participate in a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 1, 2019. For AA-2, a test version of the Orion spacecraft attached to a fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) will launch atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

From left, Jenny Devolites, AA-2 Crew Module manager; Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager; and Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut, participate in a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 1, 2019. For AA-2, a test version of the Orion spacecraft attached to a fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) will launch atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

From left, Derrol Nail, NASA Communications, moderates a prelaunch news conference on July 1, 2019, for the agency’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test, with Jenny Devolites, AA-2 Crew Module manager; Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager; and Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. For AA-2, a test version of the Orion spacecraft attached to a fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) will launch atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.

From left, Jenny Devolites, AA-2 Crew Module manager; and Mark Kirasich, Orion Program manager, participate in a prelaunch news conference for NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 1, 2019. Devolites displays an example of a data recorder attached to the LAS that will be retrieved after the abort test. For AA-2, a test version of the Orion spacecraft attached to a fully functional Launch Abort System (LAS) will launch atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, from Launch Pad 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. During AA-2, the booster will send the LAS and Orion to an altitude of 31,000 feet, traveling at more than 1,000 mph. The LAS’ three motors will work together to pull the crew module away from the booster and prepare it for splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight test will prove that the abort system can pull crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency during ascent.