Jump to content

No Astronaut On First Orion-SLS Flight Around Moon


RAnDOOm

Recommended Posts

 

0217sls2_640x282.jpg

The US space agency has decided against placing astronauts aboard its new rocket on its first launch.

It has been almost 50 years since the last human set foot on the surface of another world and with the discontinuation of the Space Shuttle program back in 2011, manned space exploration has become limited to routine journeys to and from the International Space Station.

This could soon be set to change however thanks to NASA's Orion Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System - two projects which when combined have the potential to take humans all the way to Mars.

The first integrated test flight of these systems, Exploration Mission 1, had been set to achieve a retrograde lunar orbit in 2018 with a crew of astronauts along for the ride, but now, following a renewed feasibility and risk-assessment study, the decision has been made to scrap the manned portion of the mission with the hope of launching EM-1 in early 2019.

The move is probably wise, especially given the number of delays that have occurred so far and the amount of time and funds that would have been needed to implement support for a manned crew.

The first manned test flight is instead likely to be the follow-up mission - EM-2.

Full article here - http://www.techtimes.com/articles/207201/20170513/no-astronaut-on-first-orion-sls-flight-around-moon-nasa.htm

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use. We also recommend reading our Privacy Policy and Guidelines.