US spaceship parachute test succeeds

Nasa says the most difficult test yet of the parachute system for its Orion spacecraft has gone without a hitch, the BBC reports. 

The test version of the Orion capsule touched down safely in the Arizona desert after being dropped from a C-17 military aircraft at 10.6km (35,000ft).

The US space agency said Wednesday's test was the closest to simulating a real return to Earth.

Orion is designed to replace the shuttle as America's manned space transport system.

"We've put the parachutes through their paces in ground and airdrop testing in just about every conceivable way," said Orion's programme manager Mark Geyer.

"The series of tests has proven the system and will help ensure crew and mission safety for our astronauts in the future."

Nasa is preparing Orion for its first trip to space in December, a two-hour, four-orbit flight that will send an unmanned version of the spacecraft more than 5,700km (3,600 miles) into space.

It will then be returned to Earth to test the performance of many of the craft's critical systems.