NASA Begins Work on First Space-Bound Orion Spacecraft

[Wanderlust]

Engineers at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans started welding together the first space-bound Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle.

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2011/09/09/nasa-begins-work-on-first-space-bound-orion-spacecraft/

I did not realize they were this far ahead. It will be a few years before it flies though, and no crew. Hurry up and man rate that Atlas!

 

[sojourner]

Yeah, the capsule has been progressing. The rocket to put it on is the problem.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Hm... If all else fails, can't they launch Orion with SpaceX rockets?

 

[SchwEnt]

I thought they already announced the MPCV (or whatever they're calling the Orion capsule) will be launched on an Atlas V rocket.

 

[sojourner]

First test launch is on a delta IV, unmanned.

Too heavy for Falcon9, tho falcon heavy could lift it. I think it's also too wide for either launcher.

 

[SchwEnt]

Oh right, I got my capsules mixed up.
It's the Boeing CST-100 capsule that was announced to have an Atlas V launcher.

I suppose it's a good thing to have too many manned spaceships in the pipeline. Or a bad thing that I'm getting them all mixed up.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

I did not realize they were this far ahead.

Ahead? Going by the original timetable, they were supposed to be ready for test flights by now. This is like a kid turning in his sophomore science project the day after graduation.

 

[23skidoo]

I did not realize they were this far ahead.

Ahead? Going by the original timetable, they were supposed to be ready for test flights by now. This is like a kid turning in his sophomore science project the day after graduation.

Yeah, I have to agree. Orion was supposed to be ready before the Shuttle was retired. Now we're faced with a years-long gap before NASA is going to be able to get people up into space again and then we'll probably end up with a couple decades of "up and down" till they decide to go beyond. I'm 42 and have already accepted that I won't see a Mars mission in my lifetime (the original NASA timeline from the 60s had us on Mars by the end of the 20th century); I'm fast coming to the belief I won't likely see a return to the Moon either (unless China pulls it off). The economy isn't helping - NASA should have made hay while the sun shone.

Alex

 

[Yminale]

Yeah, I have to agree. Orion was supposed to be ready before the Shuttle was retired.

It would have been if Bush had properly funded the program (and the used DIRECT instead of Ares).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIRECT

I'm 42 and have already accepted that I won't see a Mars mission in my lifetime

I'm in my 30's and I expected to be dead in a nuclear holocaust by now. Don't let expectation color your reality.

As technology goes, I wish we had Mars missions, robot servants and fusion power but I'm not going to complain since we have the Internet and wireless computing and FINALLY touch screen devices.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I thought this project was axed! Happy to see NASA has a future yet.

 

[Wanderlust]

I thought this project was axed! Happy to see NASA has a future yet.

Yes, it ws reborn as the MPCV. Multi Purpose crew Vehicle!

 

[Crazy Eddie]

I thought this project was axed! Happy to see NASA has a future yet.

Yes, it ws reborn as the MPCV. Multi Purpose crew Vehicle!

And that is how it will probably die.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

So we've got a design for a launch vehicle now?

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls1.html

It's supposed to lift 50000 kg less than a Saturn V and 20000 kg more than Falcon Heavy, and it kinda looks like Saturn V with Shuttle SSBs attached to its sides, and all that for just 30 billion USD in the next 10 years.

45 years later, 50000 kg less and it looks more shiny.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

So how long before this gets cancelled?

 

[Squiggy]

So how long before this gets cancelled?

Until someone stops giving NASA the money it needs to do the job. As of now all sides are committed to it.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Well, that's a refreshing change.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Look it from the bright side, after a few more cancellations they might re-invent Saturn V, and even go to the Moon with it.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I think they'd have to reinvent it (or at least re-engineer it from the bits that remain as exhibits) - I heard that the blueprints were deliberately destroyed in the mid-70's. Of course, that is probably an urban legend as I can't imagine why anyone would do such a thing.

 

[Yminale]

Look it from the bright side, after a few more cancellations they might re-invent Saturn V, and even go to the Moon with it.

They were going to bring back the J-2 rocket from the Saturn V.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-2X

I guess that's progress.

 

[Yminale]

I think they'd have to reinvent it (or at least re-engineer it from the bits that remain as exhibits) - I heard that the blueprints were deliberately destroyed in the mid-70's. Of course, that is probably an urban legend as I can't imagine why anyone would do such a thing.

The blueprints are in the National Archives. What actually were destroyed were the specialized machine tools and casts made for the rocket. People often get the two confused hence the urban legend.