First weld marks the start of construction on NASA's next manned spacecraft.

NASA has begun construction on the next manned ship to go into space, beginning with the first weld on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Module that will carry astronauts aboard the spacecraft.

Work began on the spacecraft in New Orleans on Friday, September 9, and will continue with the addition of heat shields at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

The spacecraft is the first manned ship to be constructed since the Space Shuttle Endeavor left the factory in 1991. If all goes as planned, it will also be the first manned spacecraft created by NASA to go into orbit since the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which landed earlier this year and marked the final flight of the Space Shuttle program.