NASA's Space Shuttle replacement, the Orion spacecraft, is anticipated to be ready for test flights by 2013. Orion, part of the original Constellation program proposal, would be used in a NASA initiative to return astronauts to the moon . However, United States president Barack Obama cancelled the program in his 2011 budget. He instead advised NASA to focus on a manned mission to an asteroid , and then to Mars. The end of the Space Shuttle program will see many contractors out of work. The United States Congress is debating a bill to add one more shuttle mission in the gap between the currently scheduled last shuttle mission and the first manned flight of the capsule, in order to alleviate concerns over job loss and the gap between the end of shuttle missions and the entry into service of a replacement American vehicle. Despite uncertainty about the future and usage of Orion, Lockheed Martin , the craft's manufacturer, continues to work on it and plans to have a fully-operational model ready by the end of 2012. The company is also drawing up flight plans for possible missions.
NASA's replacement, the spacecraft, is anticipated to be ready for test flights by 2013. Orion, part of the original proposal, would be used in a NASA initiative to return astronauts to the . However, United States president Barack Obama cancelled the program in his 2011 budget. He instead advised NASA to focus on a manned mission to an , and then to Mars. The end of the Space Shuttle program will see many contractors out of work. The is debating a bill to add one more shuttle mission in the gap between the currently scheduled last shuttle mission and the first manned flight of the capsule, in order to alleviate concerns over job loss and the gap between the end of shuttle missions and the entry into service of a replacement American vehicle. Despite uncertainty about the future and usage of Orion, , the craft's manufacturer, continues to work on it and plans to have a fully-operational model ready by the end of 2012. The company is also drawing up flight plans for possible missions.
D
Space Shuttle
D
Orion
D
Constellation program
D
moon
D
asteroid
D
United States Congress
D
Lockheed Martin