Popular Mechanics Orion article

The March 2007 issue of Popular Mechanics has the CEV/Ares space vehicle as its cover story. I was hoping to start a good discussion on the article in this thread.

Anyone?

I have scanned the article. How do I upload the files to this thread?

You can only link extern files from another webhost.
You can upload your files as example on a webspace of yours, and provide the full url on this forum.

I'm kind of internet illiterate. Can you recommend some "webspaces" where I can upload the files to?

Thanks!

I've sent you an email related to this.

Downloads provided by "Rocket Scientist":

http://hhboard12.free.fr/SFS/CEV-Cover.pdf
http://hhboard12.free.fr/SFS/CEV-01.pdf
http://hhboard12.free.fr/SFS/CEV-02.pdf
http://hhboard12.free.fr/SFS/CEV-03.pdf
http://hhboard12.free.fr/SFS/CEV-04.pdf

Thank you Sigurd!

I love the artwork.

So what did you think of the article?

You can always check it out online:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science ... 12906.html

Why didn't I think of that?

The article is indeed a good piece of journalism. The information is not new and can be found online in lots of different places (from wikipedia.org to www.nasaspaceflight.com), however it is summed up great and the graphics seem new.

As to the Orion Programme: Disapointing beyond believe. It seems geared towards sustaining the existing blown up structure of NASAs human spaceflight programme. It's huge dollars (at least it's not my tax money...) for no real innovation (ideally you would want the investment to not only return scientific results but also spur technological advance).
This will never be sustainable over the next 20 years and NASA will start spending teh same amount again in about 10 years when they will find that the private sector has surpassed them with more imaginative, cheaper and sustainable ways to transport human into space. It's a wasted chance to finally enter the space age for good.
My guess is that NASA will continue on this, but Orion will remain an earth to orbit shuttle. NASA will then build a real spacecraft (not designed for atmospheric departure or entry, possibly an evolution of the lunar lander in planning) that will be ferrying between a space station in earth orbit and Moon/Mars/LaGrange point or whatever.

Yes the article was put together pretty well but didn't contain anything new, still worth quick skim through.

I to am disappointed with the recently announced delay for Orion, NASA should have expected there would be budget shortfalls given the amount of things the US is trying to support.

By choosing to build a vehicle to heavy to launch on an EELV that requires a brand new launch system will make the program to expensive. Originally one of the reasons for using the stick was to save money by utilising existing shuttle hardware, this argument seems to have been undercut by using a 5 segment SRB which will require additional money to develop (again this could have been avoided with a smaller vehicle).

I think NASA needs to start hedging its bets soon by investing more money in additional COTS contracts with some of the other finalists. I think this first delay is only the start and that Orion will probably not fly until 2017 at least. I cant believe that NASA has got itself in this position, a smaller vehicle would have given them more flexibility to weather budget shortfalls.

I worked for Lockheed Martin until this past January. When Lockheed won the CEV contract in August 2006 I was so excited. I immediately applied to several jobs (I think it was 9-10) in Denver, CO, the main design center for the CEV. After waiting almost four months I didn't hear any word back. I started to wonder if they were truly ready to start the engineering design work. I contacted the hiring manager and he was a bit evasive so I knew something was fishy. I decided to leave Lockheed in January and return to my former company. So I am not surprised by the recently annouced delay of the CEV.

Hello, Andy Hill, hello, Rocket Scientist,

the news as well as your posts and arguments might have to do with the mix NASA is establishing:

2 COTS-contartcs with funds awarded
2 Space Act Agreements closed
exploration of cooperation with Virgin Galactic regarding essential technologies for ammned space vehicles

They might be feeling that something is not that firm, reliable or safe as it should.

And there might be people reminding them to the Aldridge Report, warning them and urging them. They might be learning and perhaps cancelling Ares and Orion one day.

And...

Hello, Willy,

you may be very right regarding the vehicle doing service between the ISS and Moon/Mars/beyond.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)