Astronauts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) started their training at the Orion spacecraft in complete gear to prepare for their potential trip to Mars. 

During the training, they are wearing their complete spacesuits to test how they can manage the control system and the vehicle while in it.

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NASA created the Orion spacecraft to carry human passengers within and beyond earth's orbit and as part of the space delivery system. It is a foundation to the agency's mission to send people to Mars.

"Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston are evaluating how crews inside a mockup of the Orion spacecraft interact with the rotational hand controller and cursor control device while inside their Modified Advanced Crew Escape spacesuits," NASA wrote on its website.

"The controllers are used to operate Orion's displays and control system, which the crew will use to maneuver and interact with the spacecraft during missions to deep space destinations."

Since the retirement of NASA's shuttle program in 2011, it took some time for the U.S to have a functioning spacecraft that could carry astronauts to space. The last one to transport human crews was the Saturn V that travelled the low-Earth orbit (LEO) but only lasted until 1973.

On the other hand, the Orion MPCV or Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is capable to carry four astronauts and can travel beyond LEO. The space agency's goal is to land human crew in Mars safely in 20 years using the spacecraft.

NASA officials said that it "will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities."

In the meantime, Space Launch System (SLS) is planning and designing at NASA for Orion before its launch. It was reported that in the moment that it's done, it will become the strongest rocket ever built.

TagsNASA, orion spacecraft, Orion MPCV, low-earth orbit, Space Launch System