(CNN) -- The U.S. space shuttle program retired in 2011, leaving American astronauts to hitchhike into orbit. But after three long years, NASA's successor is almost ready to make an entrance. Orion, the agency's newest manned spaceship, is being prepared for its first mission in December. In future missions, it will journey into deep space -- to Mars and beyond -- farther than humans have ever gone before. Orion comes loaded with superlatives. It boasts the largest heat shield ever built and a computer 400 times faster than the ones on the space shuttles. It will be launched into space on the most powerful rocket NASA has ever made. No astronauts will be aboard the December flight, which will test the spacecraft's systems for future manned missions. Final work on the spacecraft is under way at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion came one step closer to completion this month with the stacking of the crew module atop the service module. "Now that we're getting so close to launch, the spacecraft completion work is visible every day," Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer said in a statement. A 3,600-mile journey When complete, the Orion capsule will resemble a fencing foil, with a tall spire shooting up from a rounded base. At the top will sit a launch abort system, with downward-facing thrusters that would save the crew from a jarring crash in the event of a rocket malfunction. The bottom portion, the service module, will perform various functions such as in-space propulsion and cargo storage. Nestled between the two will be the crew module, capable of supporting human life from launch until recovery. Attached to the service module will be a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. For the first time since the space shuttle's debut launch in 1981, the crew compartment will ride on the tip of the rocket rather than hanging onto its side, evoking the configuration of the famous Apollo or Gemini missions. 
What question would one ask from this paragraph?
For how many years was the previous space shuttle in use?
Det amerikanska rymdfärjeprogrammet gick i pension 2011, och amerikanska astronauter fick lifta in i omloppsbanan. Men efter tre långa år är NASA:s efterträdare nästan redo att göra entré. Orion, myndighetens nyaste bemannade rymdskepp, förbereds för sitt första uppdrag i december. I framtida uppdrag kommer den att färdas ut i rymden -- till Mars och vidare -- längre än människor någonsin har gått tidigare. Orion är laddad med superlativ. Den har den största värmesköld som någonsin byggts och en dator 400 gånger snabbare än de på rymdfärjorna. Den kommer att skjutas upp i rymden på den mest kraftfulla raket NASA någonsin gjort. Inga astronauter kommer att vara ombord på decemberflygningen, som kommer att testa rymdfarkostens system för framtida bemannade uppdrag. Det sista arbetet med rymdfarkosten pågår på Kennedy Space Center i Florida. Orion kom ett steg närmare färdigställandet denna månad med staplingen av besättningsmodulen ovanpå servicemodulen. "Nu när vi är så nära uppskjutningen syns det färdiga arbetet med rymdfarkosterna varje dag", sa Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer i ett uttalande. En 300 mil lång resa När Orionkapseln är klar kommer den att likna en fäktfolie, med en hög spira som skjuter upp från en rundad bas. Högst upp sitter ett avfyrningssystem, med nedåtriktade raketmotorer som skulle rädda besättningen från en jarrgångskrasch vid ett raketfel. Den nedre delen, servicemodulen, kommer att utföra olika funktioner såsom framdrivning i rymden och lastlagring. Inbäddade mellan de två kommer att vara besättningsmodulen, som kan stödja mänskligt liv från uppskjutning till återhämtning. Ansluten till servicemodulen blir en United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy raket. För första gången sedan rymdfärjans debutuppskjutning 1981 kommer besättningsutrymmet att rida på raketspetsen snarare än hänga på dess sida, vilket framkallar konfigurationen av de berömda Apollo- eller Geminiuppdragen. Vilken fråga skulle man ställa sig från denna paragraf?
The U.S. Space Shuttle program retired in 2011, and American astronauts had to hitchhike into orbit. But after three long years, NASA's successor is almost ready to make an entrance. Orion, the agency's newest manned spaceship, is being prepared for its first mission in December. In future missions, it will travel into space -- to Mars and beyond -- further than humans have ever gone before. Orion is loaded with superlatives. It has the largest heat shield ever built and a computer 400 times faster than those on the space shuttles. It will be launched into space on the most powerful rocket NASA ever made. No astronauts will be on board the December flight, which will test the spacecraft's systems for future manned missions. The final work on the spacecraft is underway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Orion came one step closer to completion this month with the stacking of the crew module on top of the service module. "Now that we're so close to the launch, the completed work on the spacecraft is visible every day," said Orion Program Manager Mark Geyer in a statement. A 300-mile journey When the Orion capsule is finished, it will resemble a fencing foil, with a high spire protruding from a rounded base. At the top is a launch system, with downward rocket engines that would save the crew from an jarwalk crash in case of a rocket failure. The lower part, the service module, will perform various functions such as propulsion in space and cargo storage. Embedded between the two will be the crew module, which can support human life from launch to recovery. Connected to the service module becomes a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket. For the first time since the Space Shuttle's debut launch in 1981, the crew space will ride on the rocket tip rather than hang on its side, eliciting the configuration of the famous Apollo or Gemini missions. What question would be raised from this paragraph?
Hur många år var den tidigare rymdfärjan i bruk?
How many years was the previous space shuttle in use?