A press release about NASA’s Maximum Launch Abort System test launch can be expected in the next two weeks. Originally scheduled for a 14-month development period and a September 2008 launch test, that was put back to no earlier than 27 March this year and today NASA told Hyperbola:
Latest projection is mid-to-late May. Once it gets out of the processing building it is in now, project managers will be able to set a target date. We plan to issue a media announcement at that point, which is expected to be about two weeks prior to test.
NASA’s Engineering and Safety Center has been designing and developing this alternate vehicle concept as “risk mitigation for the Orion crew exploration vehicle launch abort system concept” since 2007
