On air broadcast delivered by Dr Shane on Sunday 27 April, 2008.
Online article written by Michelle Kovacevic.
WITH RETRO BEING back in fashion, it is fitting that NASA is saying goodbye to their old space shuttles and introducing some hip, new technology that will take explorers to the moon and potentially to Mars.
Dubbed the “Constellation Program”, NASA is planning to set foot on the moon once again in 2020, aboard the Orion crew exploration vehicle.
Orion’s design borrows its shape from capsules of the past, being a retro combination of the old Apollo capsule and Saturn V boosters. It will measure 5 metres in diameter and have a mass of approximately 25 tonnes with an interior almost three times the volume of an Apollo capsule.
This means that Orion can transport 4 crew members on missions to the moon and can accommodate 6 passengers plus cargo to the International Space Station or (potentially) to Mars and beyond, compared to the older shuttles which could only hold a maximum of 3 astronauts.
Utilising current advances in renewable energy technology, Orion will orbit the moon with disc shaped solar panels which will track the sun to generate electricity onboard.
For missions to the moon, two separate launch vehicles will be used. An Ares V launch vehicle containing cargo will be launched before the Orion crew vehicle and will deliver the lunar module at a low-earth orbit. The Lunar module will take explorers to the moon’s surface. The crew vehicle will then launch and dock with the lunar module which is in the Earth’s orbit and both will be propelled on their journey to the moon.
Once the astronauts are in the moon’s orbit they will use a lunar landing craft to descend to the moon’s surface, with the Orion spacecraft staying in lunar orbit until their mission on the moon is complete.
The heat shield which protects the shuttle on it’s re-entrance into the Earth’s atmosphere is based on Apollo’s thermal protection system, however parachutes will also be used to slow Orion’s descent through the atmosphere.
Some newer features include:
- Digital control systems derived from that of the Boeing 787.
- Improved waste-management facilities, consisting of a miniature camping-style toilet and unisex “relief tube” eliminating the use of the plastic “Apollo bags” used by the Apollo crews.
- More advanced computer systems than previous launch vehicles.
Like a restored Cadillac, Orion marries tried and tested old world design charms with 21st century technology. Construction is currently underway.
