Yesterday on its website, NASA revealed that it is ready to reveal its replacement model for the Space Shuttle. The new spacecraft is called the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. After the decommissioning of the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 2011, NASA had to develop a replacement craft that could not only transport crewmen and supplies to the International Space Station, but even potential astronauts who will be traveling to worlds beyond.
NASA revealed online that Orion will be undergoing an unmanned test flight in December, and is currently ready for fueling. This tear-drop-shaped capsule can transport a crew of 4 astronauts to either earth orbit or other extraterrestrial worlds. As of now, NASA has yet to develop a suitable launch vehicle they had dubbed Aeries V. Since this new rocket is still under development, the test flight in December will see the Orion mounted on a Delta IV rocket built by Marshall's Space Flight Center.
Ever since the end of the shuttle program, the United States had no means of transporting their astronauts to earth orbit and had to rely on Russia's launch vehicles instead. The economic crisis of the period when the last shuttle was decommissioned had to force the space agency to go through a series of heavy budget cuts that delayed the construction of the Orion.
One of the Orion's most crucial tasks will be transporting the future manned Mars mission crew to the potential Mars space craft in the year 2020. Before that, it is believed NASA will be using the Orion to transport astronauts back to the moon to see the foundation of a lunar colony, which will be used as not only a research facility but also as a kind of boot camp for pioneers of other extraterrestrial worlds. NASA is also developing the next generation lunar lander called "Altair" to travel along with the Orion which will serve as its booster.
At this stage, the Orion capsule still has a number of elements that need to be tested and fixed before it is ready to take a crew of astronauts into space. Mark Geyer, the head of the Orion program explained, "the crew module is undoubtedly the most complex component that will fly in December. The pressure vessel, the heat shield, parachute system, avionics -- piecing all of that together into a working spacecraft is an accomplishment."
NASA reported that the Multi-purpose Crew Vehicle will provide living quarters for its crew for up to 21 days, but with the help of additional service modules, the Orion will be able to maintain its crew for months at a time.
