To the Moon

The United States
A mock-up of the Orion space capsule is loaded into a hangar at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. In late 2008, the full-size structural model will be jettisoned off a simulated launch pad to test the spacecraft's astronaut escape system, which will ensure a safe, reliable method of escape for astronauts in case of an emergency. It is hoped that the Orion crew vehicle will carry humans to the International Space Station by 2015 and to the moon beginning in 2020.

• The Space Moon Race