Descripción de Test of the Orion Launch Abort System on the Pad:

The Pad Abort-1 Test will be the first of a series of flight tests of the full Orion Launch Abort System (LAS), which is being developed by NASA, Lockheed Martin and Orbital Sciences Corporation. These tests will be conducted at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The LAS is a solid rocket motor system that provides a safe escape for the crew. The LAS is the first of its kind and is an extremely complex system that must, within milliseconds, be able to pull the crew module to safety away from the launch vehicle in the event of an emergency on the pad or during the initial phase of ascent.