nasas new spaceships

NASA's New Spaceships

NASA awarded a $7.5 billion dollar contract to build a manned

spaceship to Lockheed Martin Corp. The Orion crew exploration vehicle

is supposed to replace the Space Shuttle fleet. New Spaceship will be

primarily used for the missions to the ISS. It is also supposed to

take astronauts to the Moon and perhaps on to Mars.

NASA New Spaceship

NASA has selected Lockheed Martin Corp. as the prime contractor to

design, develop, and build Orion, America's spacecraft for a new

generation of explorers. The Orion crew capsule will carry astronauts

back to the Moon and later to Mars. The first flight with astronauts

aboard is planned for no later than 2014. Orion's first flight to the

moon is planned for no later than 2020. Orion improves on the best

features of Project Apollo and the Space Shuttle Program, increasing

the likelihood of success. Versatility will be Orion's trademark. It

is being designed to fly to the moon, but could also be used to

service the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit.

Source: NASA Constellation Program

NASA New Spaceship

NASA New Spaceship

NASA New Spaceship

Photo Credits: NASA/John Frassanito and Associates.

Link to flash animations, 3D models, and slideshows of NASA's new

spaceship

Link to full resolution photos of NASA's new spaceship

Well, it's interesting. Lockheed Martin gets Apollo 2.0? NASA opted to

benefit from a design but technology approach similar to that used for

the development of the U.S. Apollo and Russian Soyuz. The space agency

will be developing 1960's old technology of rockets for the next 15

years?

Email this Post! Bookmark using any Bookmark Manager!