Orion Launch

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Hope this all goes well, don't need another disaster.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...-Thursday.html

http://blogs.nasa.gov/orion/

[pluto (Hugh)]

Here here, though the Delta IV Heavy is a little more mature than those systems that had mishaps recently
Should be a spectacular launch, that is one BIG rocket.

I gotta admit though I'm more looking forward to seeing if they can land the first stage of the upcoming CRS-5 launch in a couple of weeks, pretty exciting times.

[Matt Wastell (Matt)]

Looking forward to this - looks quite retro (Apollo) but lots of potential for going a bit deeper.
Anyone know when manned flights are scheduled?

[pluto (Hugh)]

First unmanned flight for Orion on SLS is scheduled for 2017 (remember that this upcoming launch is just an early test of just the capsule and not the new rocket system that it will eventually fly on).

First crewed mission is scheduled for 2021 in an Apollo 8 style circumlunar flight.

TBH although I'm excited for this launch it will only be real when Orion is flying on SLS, I'm sure we all remember the Ares 1 test flight...

[PeterEde (Peter)]

Pretty disappointing to be going back to the future. Apollo style. I get it's cheaper than Shuttles but it's a step backwards to move fwds.
Imagine where we could be today had all space nations pooled thir monies into one transportation system. worked together. Our current methods are wasteful and counter productive to all be heading in the same direction separately.
Having said that I am determined to see an SLS launch. Missed a shuttle launch due to hail damage.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Eeeep !! It's going to be 1:05 am Friday for me IF it all goes well plus another 15-20 mins of watch time...not good !

[PeterEde (Peter)]

It's history in the making. I remember sitting up to watch the first shuttle launches

[pluto (Hugh)]

Originally Posted by PeterEde

It's history in the making.

I remember watching the Ares-1X launch a few years ago at work and I said the same thing to a colleague - that it was history in the making and that the next American to walk on the Moon would ride an Ares-1.
Now I'm even more skeptical especially as this isn't even Orion's real launch vehicle and SLS doesn't even have a solid reference mission - fly some astronauts to an asteroid we've already captured and moved to an orbit around L2 sometime in the 2030s isn't quite as refined a target as: Man - on Moon - in 10 years

[glend (Glen)]

The US still has a space plane and it's operational:

http://www.space.com/23834-photos-x-...y-mission.html

It's not designed for human occupation but it is doing something up there, very secretly.

Sadly the Orion doesn't even have a mission to be assigned to at this point. The lasso the asteroid idea and tow it to the Moon, is imho not going to get much traction with the Republican congress - who are more likely to want more militarisation of the program for their $. Orion may never get a mission that uses its capabilities - unless the Chinese build a base on the Moon, which is not that far out of reach for them. The US will have to respond to that, of they will feel the need.

[Sconesbie (Scott)]

Not happy! Not that it's any one's fault.

I tuned in at 11:00 last night (Thursday) and waited. 11:05, stupid boat on the water in the exclusion zone. 11:17, too windy. 11:44, too windy. Then with two and a half minutes on the countdown to go, the valves on the fuel supply wouldn't close or something. Reset countdown and ready to obtain new launch time, decide to cancel and abort and re-launch tonight. The time is approx 1:30am. They must have known us Australian's were watching. I have my work Christmas Dinner tonight so will miss it. Good old Youtube or NASA TV replay for me I'm afraid. I was really looking forward to it.

I really hope they can get it off the ground tonight (pun intended) and make some great inroads to space travel for the future.

[Matt Wastell (Matt)]

We start all over again!

[icytailmark (Mark)]

i built myself the same rocket etc in kerbal space program

[pluto (Hugh)]

Originally Posted by icytailmark

i built myself the same rocket etc in kerbal space program

Nice
Did you have the fuel feeds from the two side boosters feeding the centre engine like on the real Delta IV Heavy?

I've got my SaturnV-crossed-with-Falcon9 reusable booster complete with landing legs and chutes. Adds a nice extra challenge having to land the booster