Are you looking forward to the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) flight on Dec. 4?
Ya think this is a good vehicle?
It’d be more exciting if there was a (man-rated) launch system to put it on.
Still, given the fits-and-starts of the post-shuttle programs, its nice to see some concrete progress.
The first manned space vehicle in 40 years designed to leave Earth orbit?
Hell to the yeah!
I’m excited, too. It’s a test, so it doesn’t matter that they’re not using the deep-space launch system yet. This is just a shakedown to see if there are any bugs in it. The deep-space system will come in time. I’d rather see them take their time and make it reliable rather than the “Moon or bust” philosophy of the 60s. Even though the space race was wildly successful and put us on the Moon for the first time. But I’m excited because this means a probable return to the Moon and eventually a manned Mars mission.
Wow. Lou Ferrigno just turned green and explained Orion to me with a comic book. Geez, they’re really going for some cheesy hype.
Orion cannot land on the moon and the Altair lander was cancelled.
I’m much more cynical about these things than I used to be. I’d like to believe that this (and the SLS rocket) will lead to some great things, but I’m not sure they will do something significant with it.
The asteroid visit would be cool, but it won’t happen until 2024 and I think it’s likely to get cancelled in the current political climate. The fuzzy plans for a manned Mars mission in the 2030s are even less likely to survive. Using the Orion to ferry people to and from the ISS seems a bit like going to the supermarket in an Aston Martin DBS.
Maybe it’s just my attitude talking. I will, of course, be watching the launch and (if it works) feel very happy. Rockets can do that.