Nasa has revealed its next generation of manned spacecraft, expected to take astronauts to the Moon or even Mars.
The American space agency has handed the multi-billion dollar contract for the building of the Orion – whose resemblance to Nasa’s famed 1960s capsules has led to it being dubbed “Apollo on steroids” – to Lockheed Martin.
The decision, announced late yesterday, leaves Boeing and its partner Northrop Grumman out in the cold – much to their chagrin, as they were the companies which built the original Apollo vehicles which ferried astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s.
Experts likened this new phase of exploration to the pioneers of the US Wild West, suggesting that there would no longer be brief visits to space and that astronauts would learn to “live off the land”.
Lockheed Martin, which until now has specialised in building unmanned spacecraft, will produce a now reuseable capsule that, like the Apollo and earlier spacecraft, is perched on top of the rocket rather than riding piggyback beside it. The cost is estimated at $7.5 billion.
Nasa last awarded a manned spaceship contract to Lockheed Martin in 1996, for a space plane supposed to replace the space shuttle. It spent $912 million but the ship, called X-33, never got built because of technical problems.
Orion will be much larger than Apollo, but will have the emergency escape tower which was also built on its predecessor of sorts. Once in space the capsule will be flanked by two large, circular solar panels.
The first prototype will carry up to six astronauts to the International Space Station, while a later version could take four astronauts to the moon where they would use a separate lander ship to reach the surface.
Orion may even serve as a “crew-return” vehicle for ships which might take astronauts to Mars.
The current shuttle fleet will be grounded in 2010 and Orion is scheduled to make its first human flight by 2014.
New booster rockets, based on space shuttle technology, are also being developed to launch Orion and its cargo to the Moon.
“We feel we have an achievable design,” said Doug Cooke, a deputy associate administrator at Nasa.
“This is a design that is based on known capabilities. We know that this can be built so there are some differences there, perhaps.”
Although all of Nasa’s 10 centres will provide engineering support on Orion, the majority of the work will be at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and final assembly will be completed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Scott Horowitz, Nasa associate administrator, said: “Space is no longer going to be a destination that we visit briefly. We’re going to learn to live off the land like the pioneers did.”
President Bush has proposed a massive exploration plan which would put astronauts on the moon for the first time since 1972, with plans for a home base.
Orion is just part of an exploration programme called Constellation, that includes the Ares I and V rockets that will power the Orion capsule and a cargo vehicle into orbit and beyond. Mission controllers hope to cut the risk of a fatal accident to astronauts by a factor of ten, from the current 1:200 for the shuttle to 1:2,000 for the new Constellation programme.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2338751,00.html
By: roscoria - 10th September 2006 at 21:36
Moonbase USA
I have read on another Website that the reason NASA wants too set up a moonbase, is too provide Earth with a defensive system too destroy Alien Spacecraft that pose a threat too us. If this is true we are talking about inter galactic Warfare, a very worrying prospect for our future. I certainly hope this not too be the case, the consequences could be horrific. 😮
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By: bring_it_on - 4th September 2006 at 10:08
Yup i’m saving up on a small little studio aprtment at the trump towers in downtown moon!!;)
By: roscoria - 3rd September 2006 at 20:38
Mankinds Destiny.
What you ask would happen in a perfect world……..but this place has never been and never will be, a perfect world, so I say, stop dreaming of nonsense like understanding this planet, and get on with what needs to be done. I know, I know…..sounds very caulus(sp) ………but I’v allways been a realist…….
Got too agree, we may be in danger of being wiped out in the future, if we don’t make an effort too reach for the Stars. Professor Steven Hawkins thinks the same way, time is not on our side. Earth shoudn’t be regarded as our permanent Home. Remember the Dinosaurs?, staying on this Planet is not a good idea, simply because it makes us vulnerable too whatever Nature can throw at us. 🙂
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By: hawkdriver05 - 3rd September 2006 at 19:53
I have to disagree with Roscoria on this one. The first thing Mankind needs to do is understand the planet we have so that they can find ways to stop us bu**ering the place up until it is unfit for us to live on. The second thing thay need to do is convince people that the planet is fast approaching maximum capacity populationwise and to actually have less children. Maybe then we can start thinking of looking beyoned our planet.
What you ask would happen in a perfect world……..but this place has never been and never will be, a perfect world, so I say, stop dreaming of nonsense like understanding this planet, and get on with what needs to be done. I know, I know…..sounds very caulus(sp) ………but I’v allways been a realist…….
By: mike currill - 3rd September 2006 at 16:57
I have to disagree with Roscoria on this one. The first thing Mankind needs to do is understand the planet we have so that they can find ways to stop us bu**ering the place up until it is unfit for us to live on. The second thing thay need to do is convince people that the planet is fast approaching maximum capacity populationwise and to actually have less children. Maybe then we can start thinking of looking beyoned our planet.
By: bring_it_on - 3rd September 2006 at 14:43
some more info
By: roscoria - 2nd September 2006 at 20:32
Anti Gravity Propulsion.
I think that the USA has some hidden secrets, which will come out in time. Anti Gravity propulsion systems,may well be under developed now. This would make getting too the Moon easy. Dont believe what the USA is showing now, will be the way forward. Don’t forget Russia, they are certain too follow the Space race. It is in the interests of both Countrys too spread disinformation, while keeping their hi Tech projects secret. Anti Gravity Propulsion is the way forward, not the old booster Rockets. Not only that, a completely revolutionary vehicle is certain to be developed, which may be similiar too a Flying Saucer. Also unmanned ships would be the way forward. I hope you don’t think I am going off the subject, it dosn’t hurt too speculate.I may be completely wrong on this, but who knows. The Moon is certainly mans first Hurdle in the Space Race, crack that one and the rest becomes a little easier. All this will certainly lead too great advances in technology, one follows the other. Perhaps Rocket technology is still on the cards, for temporary anyway. 🙂
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By: laviticus - 2nd September 2006 at 17:54
It makes me wonder that this could be a ploy to attract renewed interest in the space industry ,to be fair to most of people its all every day stuff,and may be these trips could see the start of a base on the moon, an ideal staging point for further exploration.
By: roscoria - 2nd September 2006 at 17:38
I think it’s a pretty safe bet to assume that this spacecraft incorporates technologies that the USA would prefer not to share with other countries, which would make partnership more than a little difficult.
The USA is a single country whereas Europe is a continent comprising 45 (or so) sovereign nations with diverse languages and cultures. Roscoria’s comparison is not a valid one.
As an aside, it’s really rather naive to stereotype an entire continent, you know. :rolleyes:
Yes there is no comparison between USA and Europe, USA is a united Country , Europe is divided. How can so many different countries come together too take on the USA, it wont happen because we don’t understand each other. So it’s over too the USA too show how it’s done. Stereotype an entire continent?, yes, let’s continue too fight amongst ourselves, we are good at that. 🙂
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By: Erez - 2nd September 2006 at 17:37
WHICH WASNT A HUGE SUCCESS!!
Dont go by what looks good and loos futeristic , they have to feild a system by 2014 that meets requirments interms of payload , reliability etc for many many years to come , this system offers less risk and has a very robust expansion capability which is good. The NASA chaps are a lot smarter then you or I and they should know what they need with the ammount of money they are sanctioned.
I may not be a NASA engineer but at least for the mission of getting to and from the ISS even I know that the most cost effective way is using off the shelf Russian Soyuz capsules, which are proven and tested, instead of taking the risk of developing a new platform.
The only reason I could think of not to do this is that it doesn’t “look good” that Astronauts flown by the American space agency will be using Russian made space vehicles.
By: bring_it_on - 2nd September 2006 at 13:50
Build the X-33. Now that’s a new generation spacecraft.
WHICH WASNT A HUGE SUCCESS!!
Dont go by what looks good and loos futeristic , they have to feild a system by 2014 that meets requirments interms of payload , reliability etc for many many years to come , this system offers less risk and has a very robust expansion capability which is good. The NASA chaps are a lot smarter then you or I and they should know what they need with the ammount of money they are sanctioned.
By: laviticus - 2nd September 2006 at 13:12
In looks retro yes, but the majority of the forty year old technology has probably been re designed using lessons learned from previous missions.May be Nasa’s idea is, it took us last time relatively safely with very limited loss of life so why not use it again.The design contract goes to Lockheed martin for a seven year value of about 3.9billion, which may be is well short of a full new design figure for a totally new space craft.They also plan to go to the moon in 2020, not that far away in design and engineering terms.As for Europe being involved ,I’m sure NASA will get the cooperation from Europe again ,seen as the British space race was junked to aid NASA last time,and if i’m not mistaken German technology and design too.This time may be a bit less of a frosty reaction from russia though.
By: Erez - 2nd September 2006 at 11:42
This spacecraft actually looks like a step BACK in technology, judging by how
it looks.
How did we go from a space shuttle to a capsule?
It would probably be cheaper and easier to launch, but could it have the same capabilities as the space shuttle, and more?
It might be a good vehicle to get to and from the international space station, but is that really the kind of vehicle which would be used to (re)explore the moon, and later on take part in Mars exploration?
What NASA should have done, in my opinion, is one of the following:
1) Build a newly redesigned space shuttle, based on the current model.
2) Build the X-33. Now that’s a new generation spacecraft.
3) Use Russian designed capsules to get to the international space station while saving more R&D money for a next generation Mother Of All Spacecrafts, which could get us to Mars.
Seriously, this new thing looks like a toy.
By: Grey Area - 2nd September 2006 at 07:04
I think it’s a pretty safe bet to assume that this spacecraft incorporates technologies that the USA would prefer not to share with other countries, which would make partnership more than a little difficult.
The USA is a single country whereas Europe is a continent comprising 45 (or so) sovereign nations with diverse languages and cultures. Roscoria’s comparison is not a valid one.
As an aside, it’s really rather naive to stereotype an entire continent, you know. :rolleyes:
By: roscoria - 2nd September 2006 at 06:55
Inward looking Europe..
This is VERY good news!!! But I would hope that Europe will be in on this with us.
AS usual NASA will take the lead. Problem with Europe is it lacks imagination. It’s so locked into its Political structure, that it can’t see the Wood for the Trees… 🙂
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By: hawkdriver05 - 2nd September 2006 at 01:10
This is VERY good news!!! But I would hope that Europe will be in on this with us.
By: roscoria - 2nd September 2006 at 00:46
Our Future the Moon..
Mankind really has too explore space if his survival is to be guaranteed. As we explore the Moon, we will become a stronger species mentally. Dangers that the Astronaughts face will be relayed too us on earth, making us realise how fragile we really are. Once we are established on the Moon, the next step is further out, possibly too Mars. Each new step takes us further, then eventually we will leave this Solar system on a mission” too boldly go where no Man has gone before”. This will be very dangerous, by then we will be using thinking Computers, which will decide for us the best route, and keep us on course. Star trek type Spaceships will be used, and a new form of communication system which will be revolutionary.Impossible? it starts with NASA today. 🙂
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By: laviticus - 1st September 2006 at 21:24
At last, mankind is begining too see sense…… 😉
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Agree some really exiting things to look forward to, revisiting or visiting for the first time which ever side of the fence you sit ,the moon being my number one.
By: roscoria - 1st September 2006 at 20:43
Mankinds last hope…
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2338751,00.html
At last, mankind is begining too see sense…… 😉
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September 1, 2006 at 7:03 pm