A Peacekeeper ICBM missile stage reworked into a civilian Minotaur IV stage boosts the Orion crew module Ascent Abort-2 test flight into the air over Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 2 July 2019 at 7:00 a.m. from Launch Complex 46. The test is to prove the reliability and safety of the Launch Abort System (LAS) that will be used on NASA’s massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket that will be used to carry astronauts to the Moon and Mars. In case of an accident during the first part of the launch, the LAS will blast the crew module away from the SLS to safety. Click here to view the test flight photos.
