What Happened on Orion's First Flight

NASA's Orion spacecraft completed its first test flight, Exploration Flight Test One, to evaluate its systems and technologies. The launch was delayed due to a valve malfunction but successfully took off aboard the D4 Heavy rocket. Orion reached an altitude of 5,800 km, passing through the Van Allen Belt, and tested its heat shield during re-entry. The spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, and data from the flight is being analyzed to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Explain the significance of the low Z materials used in the Orion spacecraft.

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What were the key features of Orion's heat shield, and how did it perform during re-entry?

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