AIAA Statement on NASA's Successful Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 Launch Written 5 December 2014

December 5, 2014 – Reston, Va – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) applauds the successful launch of NASA’s Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) today. As the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession, AIAA members have been involved in nearly every advancement in modern U.S. aerospace, and the Orion program is no exception. With the completion of the EFT-1 mission and splashdown of the Orion Crew Module, the United States is another exciting step closer to once again sending humans beyond low-Earth orbit. Teamwork has been the foundation for all that we have achieved in aerospace, and AIAA celebrates the entire Orion team—especially NASA, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and United Launch Alliance—and congratulates them on reaching this significant milestone. Today’s launch was the beginning of a new age of manned discovery and exploration, and we look forward with great anticipation to the knowledge that Orion’s future missions and crews will bring to humanity.