Back To Space

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle 

I watched the white plume of vapor as the Delta IV Heavy Rocket lifted the Orion Space Vehicle soared skyward early this morning at 0705 hours.  As I write this in early afternoon, it has already splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, concluding a roughly six-hour successful test flight into space and back  Outstanding!  NASA's back in the space game with new and advanced technology.  So what's the big deal about that?  The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is capable of transporting astronauts farther out into the solar system than manned flight has ever trekked before.  This test flight reached a peak altitude more than 14 times farther from Earth than the International Space Station's orbit. No spacecraft designed for astronauts had gone so far since Apollo 17 — NASA's final moon shot — 42 years ago.  This is the Conestoga Wagon for the 21st century, and will take Earthlings into deep space.  This is a vehicle that can take a crew of astronauts to Mars, outer planets, the Moon, asteroids and elsewhere. 

Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, July 1969

As I've posted here previously, China is on the Moon, and India orbited Mars on the cheap, and both nations should be congratulated for their technological success.  And some have wondered if NASA was out of the space business as the US leased portage on Russian space flights to and from the International Space Station, and private contractors were paid to taxi US astronauts and supplies to the ISS.  NASA's most visible foray into space this year was the MAVEN project, which was a probe sent to orbit Mars to study atmospheric conditions.  Last year NASA launched the Cassini research vehicle to orbit Titan to study the possibility of life there.  Those were long term unmanned probes.  But today was the test flight of a new, true spaceship - one that can go into deep space with a three or four man crew, and more importantly, return home.  Let's hope the US continues manned space exploration, and put its efforts into a manned mission to both Luna and Mars, as we did with the eight manned Apollo missions to the Moon.  As a nation, we need another giant leap for mankind.