[ad_1]
When NASA returns astronauts to the Moon and Mars, the Orion All-Wheel Crew Vehicle (MPCV) will be what brings them there. To build these next-generation spacecraft, NASA hired aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Combined with the massif Space launch system (SLS), the Orion A spacecraft will perform long-term missions beyond the low Earth orbit (LEO) for the first time in more than 50 years.
On Monday, September 23, NASA and Lockheed Martin announced the signing of a contract for the production and operation of six missions using Orion Spaceship, with the ability to manufacture up to twelve in total. This meets the requirements of NASA's Artemis project and opens up the possibility of future missions to destinations such as Mars and other distant places.
the Orion The concept was unveiled on January 14, 2004, shortly after the vehicle accident. Columbia Space Shuttle. At the time, the Orion was known as the Crew exploration vehicle (CEV). The aim was to replace the aging fleet of the Space Shuttle and to succeed the Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM) who took astronauts to the moon between 1969 and 1972.
One year later, the CEV was merged with the NASA Constellation Program (2005-2010) and renamed the Orion Crew Vehicle Exploration Vehicle (and later on Orion MPCV). In 2009, the Orion started to be tested, first with a post-boot recovery test, followed by launch tests, to validate its systems and performance. A year later, NASA's design was to design regular missions on the ISS, Moon and Mars.
At present, NASA plans to use the Orion capsule to send the first woman and the next man to the moon by 2024 (Artemis III). With the contract finalized for delivery of the next six vehicles, this vision is on the verge of becoming a reality. Rick Ambrose, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Space, spoke enthusiastically about the contract and partnership he represents in a recent venture Press release:
"This contract clearly demonstrates NASA's commitment not only to Orion, but also to Artemis and its ambitious goal of sending humans to the moon over the next five years. We are also committed to Orion and Artemis and produce these vehicles with a focus on cost, schedule and mission success. "
The contract signed by NASA with Lockheed – the Orion Production and Operation Contract (OPOC) – is an indefinite-term indefinite-term contract (IDIQ) specifying the delivery of 6 to 12 Orion spacecraft up to the end of the contract. as of September 30, 2030. Initially, NASA ordered three Orion spacecraft to conduct the Artemis III missions through V – crewed missions on the lunar surface taking place between 2024 and 2026 – for 2.7 billion dollars.
By 2022, NASA plans to order three other missions to conduct VI-VIII missions (for an additional $ 1.9 billion), which are expected to last from 2026 to 2028. L & # NASA director Jim Bridenstine said in a NASA press release:
"This contract guarantees the production of Orion over the next decade, demonstrating NASA's commitment to establish a sustainable presence on the moon to bring new knowledge and prepare for the dispatch of astronauts to Mars. Orion is a state-of-the-art spacecraft, specifically designed for deep space missions with astronauts, and an integral part of NASA's infrastructure for Artemis missions and the world's largest spacecraft. future exploration of the solar system. "
This sustainable presence includes the NASA Orbital Moon-Orbit Platform (LOP-G) project, a modular space station that will be delivered into orbit around the Moon using the SLS and Orion In the years to come. The Lunar Bridge will also serve as a hub for future Mars missions, once deep space transport (DST) is integrated.
Some of the spaceship components already designed and qualified for the Orion will also be provided for the use of Gateway. This will eliminate the need for the Gateway program to develop and qualify similar components, which will help reduce the overall cost of development. This is crucial given current budget concerns, which have led some to question whether the Lunar Bridge will be canceled.
Other cost-cutting measures include advanced manufacturing technologies, bulk purchases of materials and components, an accelerated mission rate and the fact that Orion's modules and crew systems are reusable. As Mike Hawes, Orion Program Manager for Lockheed Martin Space, testifies:
"We've learned a lot about how to design and build a better Orion – like design for reuse, augmented reality use and additive manufacturing – and apply it to this next set of vehicles. Reducing costs and making them more efficient and faster will be key to the success of the Artemis program. We must also understand how unique Orion is. It's a unique spaceship. We have designed it to do things that no other spaceship can do, go places that no astronaut has ever been and take us into a new era. human exploration in deep space. "
In July, at a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the landing of Apollo 11, Vice President Mike Pence unveiled the Orion capsule that would be used for the Artemis I mission. The launch date of this mission remains to be determined due to delays in the production of the SLS. However, this unprepared flight (which will fly around the Moon and release a CubeSats payload) is expected by the end of 2021.
With each step, NASA is getting closer to its return to the long-awaited Moon. And if everything goes as planned, this time, they will provide the infrastructure and components that will allow humans to stay there.
Further reading: Lockheed Martin, NASA
[ad_2]
Source link