Photos: Backstage at Kennedy Space Center, Act 2

This is a prototype of the heat shield that will be used for the Orion crew exploration vehicle. Made by Boeing, it is being used today to demonstrate what is possible with the material it is made of (pica).

The real heat shields will be used just once, as the material will heat up and burn off upon re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere.

Click here for full Road Trip 2008 coverage.

Photo by Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com