Construction has begun on the first new NASA human spacecraft bound for orbit to be built since space shuttle Endeavour left the factory in 1991. Engineers at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La., have started welding together the first space-bound Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. After welding is completed at Michoud, Orion will be shipped to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where the heat shield will be installed. At Kennedy, it will undergo final assembly and checkout operations for eventual flight.