Hum Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Lockheed Martin on Tuesday unveiled the first Orion spacecraft, a part of what NASA had planned as the sprawling and ambitious Constellation project that would offer a replacement for the space shuttle -- and a means to ferry humans into outer space and back to the moon. Orion and the companion Ares heavy-lift rocket were part of Constellation, a program cancelled under President Barack Obama's 2011 budget proposal. Instead Obama urged NASA to work toward sending humans to an asteroid and then on to Mars. Reports indicated NASA intended Orion to be merely a crew-escape vehicle. Tuesday Lockheed Martin showed off the fruits of its labor -- and it's far more ambitious than a crew-rescue ship. ?Our nation?s next bold step in exploration could begin by 2016,? said John Karas, vice president and general manager for Lockheed Martin?s Human Space Flight programs. ?Orion was designed from inception to fly multiple, deep-space missions. The spacecraft is an incredibly robust, technically advanced vehicle capable of safely transporting humans to asteroids, Lagrange Points and other deep space destinations that will put us on an affordable and sustainable path to Mars.? Orion includes a module for crew and cargo, a service module for propulsion, electrical power and other requirements, and a launch-abort system to carry the capsule to safety if the booster rocket fails. NASA successfully tested the launch-abort system two weeks ago at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The spacecraft will undergo rigorous testing in Denver to validate Orion?s ability to endure the harsh environments of deep space, Lockheed Martin said. The Orion crew exploration vehicle is on schedule to conduct its first orbital flight test as early as 2013 and provide initial operational flights by 2016 as required by the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. more Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/984570-nasas-orion-moon-craft-unveiled/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Most of the shielding etc. required to allow its use beyond Earth orbit had to be removed to lower its cost and weight for launch on Atlas V & Delta IV, so while its mandated by Congress to fly its not cost effective for ISS crew return vs. CST-100, Dragon, Dream Chaser etc. To go BEO all that hardware would have to go back in and the launch done on Delta IV Heavy, the most expensive launcher in the US inventory by $100 million a pop. The operative term is boondoggle. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/984570-nasas-orion-moon-craft-unveiled/#findComment-593815094 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted March 23, 2011 Member Share Posted March 23, 2011 Most of the shielding etc. required to allow its use beyond Earth orbit had to be removed to lower its cost and weight for launch on Atlas V & Delta IV, so while its mandated by Congress to fly its not cost effective for ISS crew return vs. CST-100, Dragon, Dream Chaser etc. To go BEO all that hardware would have to go back in and the launch done on Delta IV Heavy, the most expensive launcher in the US inventory by $100 million a pop. The operative term is boondoggle. I'm all for space travel but this is unnecessarily expensive. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/984570-nasas-orion-moon-craft-unveiled/#findComment-593816276 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 I'm all for space travel but this is unnecessarily expensive. Yeah, how will be be able to pay for Wars ... :ermm: Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/984570-nasas-orion-moon-craft-unveiled/#findComment-593819170 Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 exactly. we're spending more on this Libya thing than the entire NASA budget for the year. as for Orion, looks nice but it's not far-reaching enough. HOWEVER, if they can get people beyond LEO by 2016 with this, say a moonshot or maybe even a moon landing, then i'm all for it. imagine people back on the moon in 2016, even if it's just another rock-kicking field trip! Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/984570-nasas-orion-moon-craft-unveiled/#findComment-593819416 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted March 24, 2011 Member Share Posted March 24, 2011 Yeah, how will be be able to pay for Wars ... :ermm: They can always find ways to fund a war, it seems. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/984570-nasas-orion-moon-craft-unveiled/#findComment-593819426 Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoadorable Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 how true. finance and war enjoy the Bottomless Coffer trope while space exploration, medicine and science get the Dreaded Empty Well treatment. Link to comment https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/984570-nasas-orion-moon-craft-unveiled/#findComment-593819440 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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