Posts Tagged ‘Orion’
NASA interest in 2024 Mars Sample Return Mission using SLS and Orion
The Mars Program Planning Group (MPPG) have added meat to the bones of a proposal that would result in the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion and a Mars…
UK steps up, as ESA commit to ATV Service Module on NASA’s Orion
The European Space Agency (ESA) have announced they will inform NASA they are ready to build an ATV derived Service Module for Orion, to be ready for the…
EM-2: Orion crew to spend up to four days in Lunar Orbit
The first crewed mission of NASA’s Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) exploration era will send a crew of four on a short vacation into Lunar orbit in 2021. Exploration…
SLS and Orion endure rigorous wind tunnel testing
Both the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion crew capsule have continued their wind tunnel testing this month, with the Block 1 Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV)…
NASA evaluate rescue plans for Orion crew after off-nominal landing
NASA teams are continuing to set up the mission rules for their Orion spacecraft, with the latest set of expansive “Concept of Operations (CONOPS)” outlines including scenarios for…
Future Pad Escape options – From Slidewires to Roller Coasters
Evaluations into pad escape options for the crewed vehicles of the future are currently taking place, with the Space Launch System (SLS) employing a trade study that includes…
NASA’s EFT-1 Orion into 17 months of outfitting at KSC
The Exploration Flight Test Orion (EFT-1) is into its first month of outfitting operations, aimed at turning what is a shell of a structure into a real spaceship….
Orion program deep into production, processing and testing for EFT-1
After a somewhat unhappy childhood, that included an abrupt and costly cancellation, the Orion program is now full speed ahead for its Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1). The Orion…
NASA ESD set key Orion requirement based on Lunar missions
NASA’s new spaceship, the Orion crew capsule, will be able to actively host a crew for 21 days, a requirement designed to cover all exploration missions, but mainly…
NASA Safety Panel call for crew risk mitigation via debut SLS mission
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) praised the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion programs for making “considerable progress” during their latest meeting, but called for managers to…
JSC conducting EFT-1 sim runs as Orion prepares for journey to KSC
Preparations for Orion’s first journey into space are accelerating, as flight controllers at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) fire up the former Shuttle Flight Control Room (FCR) for…
Orion parachutes preparing for another milestone drop test on April 17
Following on from their successful drop test of the Orion Parachute Test Vehicle (PTV) in February, another test will be conducted on April 17 at the US Army’s…
Delving Deeper into NASA’s DSH configurations and support craft
With preliminary design work underway on the Deep Space Habitat (DSH) for future crewed exploration of the space beyond Low Earth Orbit, the configurations of the proposed craft,…
Deep Space Habitat module concepts outlined for BEO exploration
With the push for exploration Beyond Earth Orbit (BEO) increasing, a proposed habitat for human exploration outside the confines of Earth’s immediate space is taking shape as NASA…
NASA Advisory Council: Select a Human Exploration Destination ASAP
The NASA Advisory Council (NAC) – a body that provides the NASA Administrator with counsel and advice on programs and issues of importance to the Agency – has…
NASA Exploration Roadmap: The evaluation of crewed missions to Asteroids
Classed as one of the defined destinations for NASA astronauts in the mid to late 2020s, missions to a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) – utilizing the Space Launch…
NASA Exploration Roadmap: A return to the Moon’s surface documented
The latest documentation relating to the efforts to create an Exploration Roadmap for NASA’s future has provided the strongest indication to date that the Agency wants to return…
EFT-1 Orion parts set for closeout welds – Next parachute test in April
The Orion Program is continuing to push forward at a lively pace, as the first MPCV (Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle) set to launch into space heads into the final pathfinder…
NASA boss Bolden goes head to head with lawmakers over FY13 budget
Wednesday marked a busy day of political argument between lawmakers and NASA administrator Charlie Bolden, with a notable focus on the battleground of providing required funding for the…
Major KSC refurbishment work continuing ahead of SLS and Orion debuts
A significant amount of refurbishment work is taking place at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), as the spaceport prepares to welcome the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System…
