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The countdown has begun for the Orion spacecraft's test flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 4 December.

Nasa's latest capsule, which will take astronauts on deep space missions, now has its rocket in position and is undergoing final checks.

Ahead of its launch, Nasa has released a video named 'Trial by Fire', which outlines each of the daring stages on Orion's 3,600 mile (5,793km) journey above Earth

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The countdown has begun for the Orion spacecraft's test flight from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 4 December. Nasa's latest capsule (artist's impression pictured), which will take astronauts on deep space missions, now has its rocket in position and is undergoing final checks

In a 4.5-hour mission, Nasa will use a Delta IV heavy rocket to launch the craft 100 miles (160km) above the Earth's surface.

Upper stage rockets will then take it 3,600 miles (5,793km) out into space - just far enough to pass through the Van Allen radiation belts.

The Van Allen radiation belts are two concentric rings encircling the Earth and held in place by a magnetic field.

Since the Van Allen belts were first discovered in 1958, astronomers have been trying to trace the source of the super-acceleration.

All about NASA's Orion spacecraft that blasts off in December

The Delta IV Heavy rocket that will launch the test flight has been already put in place on the launch pad, and the Orion capsule will be transported there around 10 November. In this image, a United Launch Alliance crew prepares to move a Delta IV heavy rocket to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral

In a 4.5-hour mission, Nasa will use a Delta IV heavy rocket (illustrated) to launch the craft 100 miles (160km) above the Earth's surface. Upper stage rockets will then take it 3,600 miles (5,793km) out into space - just far enough to pass through the Van Allen radiation belts

The acceleration is so high that satellites have to protect their sensitive components with shielding if their orbit spends significant time in the belts

The Orion capsule has been outfitted with sensors to take new readings on the belt and ensure that it doesn't interfere with any of the capsule's onboard electronics.

Orion will re-enter Earth's atmosphere at almost 20,000mph (32,180 km/h), and reach temperatures near 2,200°C (4,000°F).

At this stage, its parachute system will deploy to slow the spacecraft for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

The Delta IV Heavy rocket that will launch the test flight has been already put in place on the launch pad, and the Orion capsule will be transported there onaround November 10.

This Delta system is designed to protect astronauts if a problem arises during launch by pulling the spacecraft away from the failing rocket.

During the December flight, the jettison motor, which separates the launch abort system from the crew module in both normal operations and emergency, will be tested.

For Orion's dry run, the Lockheed Martin-built capsule will have chunks of aluminium in place of seats for ballast, and simulators instead of actual cockpit displays.

During the December flight, the jettison motor, which separates the launch abort system from the crew module in both normal operations and emergency, will be tested (illustrated)

The Van Allen radiation belts (illustrated) are two concentric rings encircling the Earth and held in place by a magnetic field. Since the Van Allen belts were first discovered in 1958, astronomers have been trying to trace the source of the super-acceleration

Orion will re-enter Earth's atmosphere at almost 20,000mph (32,180 km/h), and reach temperatures near 2,200°C (illustrated)

Once the launch abort system is stacked on the completed crew and service modules, and the three systems are tested together, the Orion spacecraft will be considered complete.

It will then wait inside the launch abort system facility until mid-November, when the Delta IV Heavy rocket is ready for integration with the spacecraft.

Orion has its roots in the post-Columbia shuttle era; it originated a decade ago as a crew exploration vehicle to get astronauts beyond low Earth orbit and managed to survive the cancellation of the Constellation moon project.

On future missions, Orion will carry astronauts farther into the solar system than ever before, including to an asteroid, and Mars. 

This image, taken earlier this month, shows a Delta IV heavy rocket being lifted into the Mobil Service Tower at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida