On July 2, 2019, NASA conducted a successful test known as Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2), which tested the Orion launch abort system (LAS), a critical safety system that sits atop Orion at launch and during ascent. If an emergency occurs during launch, the LAS pulls Orion and its crew away from the rocket for a safe landing in the Atlantic Ocean. Ascent Abort-2 demonstrated this capability of the LAS, propelling the crew module to a safe distance during ascent at a point midway between maximum aerodynamic pressure and maximum aerodynamic drag.