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.

The Ares I-X test vehicle is scheduled to begin stacking in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the end of the month, despite continued slips to the launch date - the latest of which places Ares I-X as lifting off from Pad 39B NET (No Earlier Than) September 18.

The team behind the alternative exploration architecture known as DIRECT have released a rebuttal document, countering claims made by NASA’s Constellation Program, ahead of the Blue Ribbon review for human space flight. The document specifically targets a series of claims made by a NASA team in May and October of 2007, which found the Jupiter [...]

Citing schedule concerns and technical challenges, Constellation manager Jeff Hanley has outlined a series of proposed solutions to avoid further slips in the Ares/Orion schedule. Mr Hanley proposes deleting the Ares I-Y test flight, making Ares I’s first stage disposable, switching from Orion 4 to Orion 3 as the Full Operational Capability (FOC) date, along [...]

A study by the Aerospace Corporation, conducted at the request of NASA to disprove the viability of an option to switch Orion to an alternative Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), has found both the Atlas V Heavy and Delta IV Heavy are capable of launching Orion on both ISS and Lunar missions. Meanwhile, former NASA [...]

NASA’s Constellation Program (CxP) will conduct a “Content and Schedule” summit meeting in the next few months, after it was evaluated their current schedules are “broken”. The meeting will aim to protect against a slip that is estimated to be as serious as 18 months, or outright cancellation for Ares I. Meanwhile, the push for [...]

The Constellation Program (CxP) test flight, Ares I-X, has slipped three weeks to a NET (No Earlier Than) July 31 - with the potential for more delays - on the latest planning documents, as the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) prepare to announce the dual use of Pads 39A and 39B for their STS-125 and STS-400 [...]

Lockheed Martin have recommended a switch of a 8Mbs Phased array on its Communications and Tracking (C&T) system to a combination phased array S-Band at low data rates with a High Gain Antenna - called Hybrid “Lite” - due to Orion’s mass and power issues.

The Jumbo Drop Test Vehicle is in final preparations for a February 26 drop, as part of the Ares I First Stage parachute tests. Meanwhile, the little-known Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) will conduct its first test in March.

US lawmakers have agreed on a stimulus package that includes just over $1 billion in additional funds for NASA, to be utilized during 2009 and 2010. While the $400m allocated towards “Exploration” is not specifically earmarked for extension of the shuttle program, it could allow NASA to take the first steps in reducing “The Gap” [...]

Constellation engineers are carrying out an evaluation process into a potential option of going back to the SSME (Space Shuttle Main Engine) on the Ares V first stage, which in turn would allow a return to a five segment Solid Rocket Boosters on the giant vehicle.

A series of Ares I Thrust Oscillation (TO) meetings have concluded with the decision to recommend baselining Ares I’s Tuned Mass Absorber (TMA) on the aft of the vehicle as a passive - as opposed to active - system, as the latest analysis - which has included human tests - reduce TO as a potential [...]

STS-126 will see the flight debut of two new sets of instrumentation, aimed at gathering more detailed data on RSRM (Reusable Solid Rocket Motor) behaviour during the first stage of launch. The resulting data will benefit the efforts to understand and mitigate Thrust Oscillation on Ares I.

Documentation related to Ares I’s Lift Off Drift Curve issue has highlighted concerns with the vehicle’s Thrust Vector Control (TVC), via its reaction to controlling the vehicle as it climbs away from the pad.

The Constellation Acceleration Study Team are evaluating 160 “brainstorming ideas” in an attempt to reduce the current gap between shuttle and Ares/Orion by up to 18 months. However, such a process would come at a cost, with widescale deletions to Ares I testing and a major deferral to the development of the Lunar Orion.

The requirement to carry out an additional Design Analysis Cycle (DAC) has already delayed Orion’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR) into the middle of next year.

Lockheed Martin’s design efforts on the Orion vehicle are being hindered by Ares I driven requirements, documented notes claim, with concerns ranging from the constant design changes, to Thrust Oscillation (TO) mitigation requirements.
With Crew Seat Isolation efforts deferred until next year - in order not to delay the recent Ares I PDR (Preliminary Design Review) [...]

Ares I engineers have created a “Plan A” option - which combines three mitigation techniques - to attempt to solve Thrust Oscillation issues during first stage flight.
Plan A involves an active Tuned Mass Absorber (TMA) to the aft skirt, dampers on the interstage, and the crew seat isolators - though during a teleconference [...]

Two months after Constellation informed the workforce of an internal slip to opening element of the Orion flight schedule, manager Jeff Hanley has finally confirmed the realignment to the media.
As previously stated by Hanley, the projected launch of Orion 2 - which will be the first crewed Orion mission - isn’t expected to [...]