Tag: Orion
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Ambitious Ares test flight plan proposed for HLV demonstrations
A plan has been created for the continued use of Ares via a series of test flights, ultimately leading up to a Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) program in the second half of this decade. Appearing to bank on major changes being negotiated by Congress in NASA’s FY2011 budget proposal, the plan would result in three…
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Orion removed from NASA control – MOD positioning for commercial role
NASA managers are pushing through the shutdown of the Constellation Program (CxP) at a pace, with a series of memos showing all the Ares test flights have already been cancelled, along Orion ‘defunded’ and returned to the sole control of contractor Lockheed Martin. Meanwhile, MOD director Paul Hill has written to NASA administrator Charlie Bolden,…
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Unlucky Orion crashing out of the space program as drop test fails
One of the final tests of the now-cancelled Orion Program has ended in failure, when a parachute drop test of an Orion boilerplate resulted in the near-destruction of the vehicle. It marks what is likely to be a sad end for the vehicle that was set to take US astronauts to the International Space Station…
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NASA’s Flexible Path evaluation of 2025 human mission to visit an asteroid
NASA managers have created an evaluation and roadmap for a potential human mission to visit the 1999 AO10 Near Earth Object (NEO) as early as 2025, as part of their options under the Flexible Path approach to the future of Human Space Flight. The mission would focus on using the International Space Station (ISS) as…
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Constellation reviews Crew Exploration Vehicle Aero-science Project Status
Completing a series of summer meetings relating the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Constellation Program (CxP) undertook a review of the CEV Aero-science Project (CAP). This review provided NASA and CxP with vital information on the critical-path aerodynamic and aerothermal analyses pertaining to the Orion crew capsule’s reentry and various launch abort modes that it…
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Constellation Reviews Progress of LIDS Docking System for Orion
As the Constellation Program (CxP) prepares for the test flight of Ares I-X – the rocket modelled on the vehicle that will launch Orion sometime in the next decade – in less than one month, a design review of the Low Impact Docking System (LIDS) that Orion will use to dock with the International Space…
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Constellation Program Outlines CEV Parachute Upgrades for Orion Capsule
As part of the on going effort within the Constellation Program to finalize the design of the Crew Exploration Vehicle’s (CEV’s) Orion capsule, a CEV Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) review was held over the summer to document changes to the parachute system that will reduce the capsule’s speed during descent and splashdown operations. CPAS Update:…
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Augustine Review: October summit set to reveal NASA’s forward path
The strategic direction of NASA is set to be announced in the first week of October, when new administrator Charlie Bolden and Human Space Flight Review panel chairman Norm Augustine conduct a NASA Executive Summit for all Senior Executive Service employees. The news came as center and space industry directors continue to tell their staff…
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Constellation battle numerous Top Risks – Orion loses unmanned capability
The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) is undergoing further reductions in its capability – including the elimination of the vehicle’s unmanned ability – as Constellation managers attempt to resolve numerous issues ahead of the Orion Project PDR (Preliminary Design Review). Issues noted in the recent “Top Risks” review list 10 serious issues with the Ares and Orion vehicles, ranging from…
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Discovery handed special heatshield coating DTO on behalf of Orion
Shuttle Discovery has been tasked with a special DTO (Detailed Test Objective) – on behalf of the Orion Project Office – to be carried out during STS-128’s re-entry. A “Catalytic Coating” has been applied to two of Discovery’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles, providing Orion – and shuttle – engineers with refined aeroheating data. STS-128…