NASA is now developing vehicles that can deliver astronauts to the asteroid and one month of Mars. Vehicle called the Orion capsule and developed together with leading aircraft developers, Lockeed Martin, and is expected to be completed in 2019.
To achieve that big goal, NASA and Lockeed Martin will first develop the Orion as a vehicle that serves the mission of the International Space Station (ISS). Scheduled, Orion will undergo an orbital test in 2013 and began operation in 2016.
In developing the Orion, Lockheed Martin Space Operations Simulation Center building area of 41,000 square feet at a cost of 35 million U.S. dollars, equipped with a full scale model of the ISS and Orion models are placed on towers weighing 75 tons. That's where a series of tests on Orion will be done.
Lockheed Martin to introduce new facilities to the general public, on Tuesday (22 / 3), while showing off the Orion design. Human GM Spacefilght Lockheed Martin John Karas said, "Orion is being prepared for flight. We will do from design to testing and from testing to operation."
Orion initially named Constellation and is a part of the mission to the Moon former president George W Bush. However, last year the mission worth 100 billion U.S. dollars to be overturned President Barack Obama with the reasons for wanting to develop more advanced space missions.
NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs said, "Orion will evolve from previously under the Constellation program to be part of a multifunctional vehicle crew." He said, Orion is planned to serve short-haul missions to the ISS as well as long distances.
Orion has a module for crew and cargo, service module for propulsion, power and other requirements as well as launch-abort system to save the capsule when the booster rocket failed to work. NASA successfully tests on the launch-abort system 2 weeks ago.
Director of the crew and service modules Lockheed Martin James Bray said, the first Orion capsule is being assembled in another building Lochkeed Martin in Waterton. The first capsule will be used for testing the soil and may be launched in a suborbital test.
Many components of Orion that can be reused after a flight a few flights, including some electronic systems. Orionnya himself could not be used because the extraordinary force that resisted during takeoff and landing again.
The execution of the capsule will begin next August. Although not far from success, but the development of Orion has a positive impact on the surrounding community. Project Orion provides opportunities to 10,000 people to work and participate at work working on Orion.