NASA plans 2014 Orion test flight
Posted: Wed, Nov 9, 2011, 7:25 AM ET (1225 GMT)
NASA announced Tuesday plans to fly its Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) capsule on an initial, uncrewed test flight in 2014. The Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) would launch the Orion capsule on an expendable rocket, most likely a Delta 4 Heavy, on a very high altitude suborbital flight. That trajectory would allow the Orion to reenter the atmosphere at high velocities like those a spacecraft would experience on a return from a deep space mission. NASA will use the data from the reentry and splashdown to refine its design of the Orion spacecraft. Future Orion missions will launch on the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket, with an initial launch, also unmanned, planned for 2017.
NASA announced Tuesday plans to fly its Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) capsule on an initial, uncrewed test flight in 2014. The Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) would launch the Orion capsule on an expendable rocket, most likely a Delta 4 Heavy, on a very high altitude suborbital flight. That trajectory would allow the Orion to reenter the atmosphere at high velocities like those a spacecraft would experience on a return from a deep space mission. NASA will use the data from the reentry and splashdown to refine its design of the Orion spacecraft. Future Orion missions will launch on the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket, with an initial launch, also unmanned, planned for 2017.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Retired Air Force officer nominated to be NASA deputy administrator
Posted: Sat, May 10 9:44 AM ET (1344 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, May 13
ScotRail trials wi-fi using satellite technology
BBC — 5:15 am ET (0915 GMT) Elon Musk’s Starlink to be used for internet services on Scottish trains
The Times of London — 5:14 am ET (0914 GMT) Starlink gets 90-day waiver to operate without local gateway
The Daily Star (Bangladesh) — 5:14 am ET (0914 GMT) Rep. Strong reaffirms Huntsville's suitability for Space Command headquarters during Athens address
WZDX-TV Huntsville, AL — 5:12 am ET (0912 GMT) US, Italy Sign Joint Space Security Deal
The Defense Post — 5:12 am ET (0912 GMT) |
