By
Ted Thornhill
Last updated at 5:07 PM on 10th November 2011
Nasa will launch a test flight in 2014 of a new deep-space capsule designed to send astronauts to asteroids, the Moon, Mars.
The Orion capsule, which is being developed by Lockheed Martin Corp, would fly aboard a Delta 4 or Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, said Nasa spokesman Josh Byerly.
The test capsule would be launched into an orbit that soars as high as 5,000 miles (8,000 km) above the planet.
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
Having a blast off: An artist’s impression of the Orion crew vehicle in orbit
Making a splash: Engineers conduct a water-drop test of Orion, which will land in the sea when it returns to Earth
After circling Earth twice, it would slam back into the atmosphere at more than 20,000mph (32,000kph), eclipsing the 17,500mph (28,000kph) speed of a returning space shuttle.
The fastest a spaceship has returned to Earth with astronauts aboard was the 24,700 mph (39,700 kph) re-entry of Apollo 10 in 1969, Byerly added.
‘We will learn through this test that Orion would survive re-entry, being as fast as it is,’ he said.
The unmanned test, which will cost Nasa an extra $370million (£232million) including the launch vehicle, will bump back a test of Orion’s launch abort system from 2015 to 2016.
Along with developing Orion, a legacy program from Nasa’s cancelled Constellation moon exploration initiative, the U.S. is developing a heavy-lift rocket based in part on space shuttle hardware.
Under the bonnet: A Nasa weld technician works on Orion
Up, up and away: An artist’s impression of the heavy-lift rocket that will take Orion into space
The goal of the program is to send astronauts to explore an asteroid by 2025.
Nasa has already has spent about $5billion on the Orion program.
As part of the preparations for a possible trip to the Red Planet six astronauts recently completed a 500-day stay in a windowless capsule in Moscow.
The facility simulated confinement, stress and fatigue of interplanetary travel – the only thing not simulated was weightlessness.
The crew communicated with the organisers and their families via the Internet, which was delayed and occasionally disrupted to imitate the effects of space travel. They ate canned food similar to that offered on the International Space Station.
The organisers said each crew member will be paid about $100,000, except the Chinese researcher whose reward hasn’t been revealed by the Chinese officials.
Vitaly Davydov, a deputy head of the Russian space agency, said the experiment will help pave the way for a real Mars mission. He added that it’s not expected until mid 2030s and should be done in close international cooperation
One of the astronauts on board, French engineer Romain Charles, said in a recent diary entry: ‘Our international crew went through the Mars500 mission successfully.
We’re happy and proud to answer positively to the question asked a year-and-a-half ago: ‘Is man able to endure, physiologically and psychologically, the confinement of a trip to Mars?’
‘Yes, we’re ready to go!’
Print this article
Read later
Email to a friend
Share this article:
Here’s what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.
The comments below have not been moderated.
-
Newest
-
Oldest
-
Best rated
-
Worst rated
Just as private enterprise seems to heading towards building a real space plane it seems bizarre that NASA should seek to build Apollo Mark 2. I can’t see this programme capturing the imagination as Apollo once did.
The dream of manned deep space flight will remain (as opposed to low Earth orbit) I think a dream for some time to come. I’m in my early forties now and I have doubts that I’ll see a manned landing on Mars in my lifetime. Such a mission will cost a fortune and unless there is either a strategic, economic or some other pressing need I cannot see it happening. But if we do go we should go with a purpose to stay and build once we get there.
That said with improvements in artificial intelligence future deep space exploration would perhaps – at least until we have faster propulsion systems – be better left to even more advance robot probes (which have already done a sterling job in exploring the solar system already).
.
- Peter, Ilkley, West Yorks, England, 10/11/2011 20:04
Report abuse
There is scientific reason why they looked like that 40 years ago. The shape of capsule is a blunt body, this shape creates a shock wave in front of it during re-entry. This shock wave does not touch the capsule and carries away the heat of re-entry. It by the far the safest design shape. Other shapes such as the orbiter create leading edges and other hot spots on their body during re-entry.
So now you are educated in space vehicle re-entry design and should stop talking about how it “looks” like it did 40 years ago.
Remember, 40 years ago they spent a tremendous amount of money to research and develop space craft. Next time think about the fact that they may have had a reason for it to “look” like that.
- Jeff C, KSC, 10/11/2011 19:58
Report abuse
No austerity at nasa then……………….OK for some!
- Graham, Scotland, 10/11/2011 19:57
Report abuse
Oh look, how sweet, it looks almost the same as the ones they were building 40 YEARS AGO!!!! peter Pan,
well it worked didn’t it? I expect the car you drive looks in essence liek the ones built 40 yrs ago. Just goes to show how brave and clever apollo program was, whatever the reason for doing it. This is what the world needs now, a new adventure to capture the imagination
- steve, glos, 10/11/2011 19:47
Report abuse
Why do I, who lives in Houston, get to read this in the British Press?
- Phil, Houston, Texas, 10/11/2011 18:53
Report abuse
I don’t think it will ever happen, they have lost the spirit of the 60′s. There will be no monetary profit in it.
- Scouse, UK, 10/11/2011 18:48
Report abuse
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Article source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2059758/Nasa-announces-2014-test-flight-Orion-deep-space-capsule.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Tags:
drop test,
launch vehicle,
legacy program,
space capsule,
cape canaveral air force station,
moon exploration <BR/>
Print this article
Read later
Email to a friend 
