Tag: Orion
-
NASA moves to enforce early switch to EUS for SLS
NASA managers have placed a “stop work order” in relation to the human-rating of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (lCPS) for the Space Launch System (SLS). The stage, which was set to ride with a crewed flight on Exploration Mission -2 (EM-2), will be replaced by the early addition of the more powerful Exploration Upper…
-
NASA’s giant rocket will carry solar sail, a lunar flashlight and more mini-satellites
An artist’s conception shows Lunar Flashlight flying above a crater on the moon. (Credit: NASA) NASA says it’ll send 13 miniaturized satellites – including a pop-up solar sail and a “lunar flashlight” – beyond Earth orbit when it flies its heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket for the first time in 2018. The main payload for the…
-
NASA to begin testing Orion’s European Service Module
NASA is nearly ready to begin testing of a core component of the Orion spacecraft. A structural test version of the European Service Module has arrived in the United States and will soon undergo a series of tests at NASA’s Glenn Research Center’s Space Power Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, to validate the service module’s design…
-
NASA’s Orion deep-space capsule is now officially a shiny object: Here’s why
An artist’s conception shows NASA’s Orion capsule in flight, with a silvery, metallic-based coating bonded to the capsule’s back shell tiles. (Credit: NASA) NASA has released new artwork that reflects the latest look for its Orion deep-space crew vehicle – and it’s highly reflective. Orion’s shiny back shell isn’t just for show: In Thursday’s update, NASA…
-
NASA’s heavy-lift rocket and deep space capsule under new management
Mark Kirasich, NASA’s new Orion program manager, inspects Orion spacecraft components. Credit: NASA NASA has announced two veteran space shuttle engineers have taken charge of space agency’s Space Launch System and Orion deep space exploration projects after their previous managers both took the No. 2 jobs at space centers in Alabama and Texas. Mark Kirasich,…
-
NASA considers SLS launch sequence for human Mars missions in the 2030s
As NASA continues to develop their plans for delivering humans to the Martian system in the 2030s, a Technical Interchange Meeting has outlined two potential hardware launch sequence options for NASA’s upcoming heavy lift rocket, SLS, that would enable the space agency to utilize SLS’s capabilities while realizing human exploration of Mars. Evaluating hardware launch options: *Click…
-
Orion spacecraft may not fly with astronauts until 2023
Artist’s concept of the Orion spacecraft. Credit: NASA The first piloted flight of NASA’s Orion space capsule, a vehicle designed to carry astronauts away from Earth for the first time in two generations, may slip from 2021 to 2023, agency officials said Wednesday. A thorough review of the program in recent weeks highlighted risks that…
-
Orion spacecraft may not fly with astronauts until 2023
Artist’s concept of the Orion spacecraft. Credit: NASA The first piloted flight of NASA’s Orion space capsule, a vehicle designed to carry astronauts away from Earth for the first time in two generations, may slip from 2021 to 2023, agency officials said Wednesday. A thorough review of the program in recent weeks highlighted risks that…
-
Orion passes KDP-C with cautious 2023 crew debut
NASA’s Orion spacecraft has passed a critical milestone via the Key Decision Point -C (KDP-C) process, allowing the Agency’s commitment to the program’s technical, cost, and schedule baseline. While the first crewed launch of Orion remains on track for 2021, NASA has opted to install a “No Later Than” date of mid-2023, to allow for…
-
EM-1 Orion begins assembly as CDR process continues
The Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) Orion is now being welded together at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans ahead of its 2018 flight with the maiden launch of the Space Launch System (SLS). Orion is also in the process of completing its all-important paperwork, as the Critical Design Review (CDR) process continues ahead…