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From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: December 3, 2014 at 11:36:27 AM CST
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: NASA and Human Spaceflight News - Wednesday – December 3, 2014
Hope you can join us tomorrow at Hibachi Grill for our monthly NASA Retirees Luncheon @11:30.Also regarding Glynn Lunney's talk and book signing event at the Gilruth tomorrow afternoon at 2pm in the Longhorn room upstairs. Books will be available at the event for purchase and for autographs. I have checked the JSC Gift shop this morning and Glynn's books are not available for purchase there and maybe even not at any of the books stores either, like Barnes & Nobles, etc. His talk is at 2:30.Time: 2:00 – 2:30 PM Glynn will sign his new book, Highways into Space,Book price is $21.63 (tax included)And of course the Keg of the Month gathering coordinated by Larry Ratcliff is at 4pm out at the Gilruth pavilion.NASA and Human Spaceflight NewsWednesday – December 3, 2014HEADLINES AND LEADSNASA Sees Capsule Test as a Step Toward MarsKenneth Chang – New York TimesFor the first time since Apollo 17 returned from the moon in 1972, NASA is scheduled to loft an astronaut capsule on Thursday to soar beyond low Earth orbit.NASA prepares to test the spaceship that could take us to MarsChristian Davenport – The Washington PostAs the last man to walk on the moon prepared to fly back to Earth in 1972, astronaut Eugene Cernan echoed the words of the first, pledging with Neil-Armstrong-like grandiosity that "we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind." He later predicted that humans would reach Mars by the end of the 20th century.After Orion launch, big steps lie ahead for Mars trip, NASA saysScott Powers –Orlando SentinelIf creating the new Orion space capsule or developing a new deep-space rocket are complex and critical breakthroughs, NASA's remaining challenges to send humans to Mars are no less daunting, officials said Tuesday.The Flight of OrionA new spacecraft takes flight, but to where?Paul D. Spudis - Air & SpaceA milestone in the program to develop a new human spaceflight system is set to occur this week, as the first unmanned flight of the new Orion spacecraft lifts off from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 37 on Thursday. This mission will test the overall flight qualities of the new Orion spacecraft. Many systems are still to be developed, with pieces of the spacecraft needed for human occupation replaced on this flight by instrumentation. The tests are designed to observe the vehicle's responses to the dynamic environments of launch, orbit, high-speed re-entry and splashdown. Such flight test articles are called "boilerplate" vehicles.Weather Looks Good for NASA's Orion Spacecraft Test Flight ThursdayMiriam Kramer - Space.comNASA's newest space capsule, the Orion deep-space vehicle, is ready for a landmark test flight on Thursday (Dec. 4), and as long as Mother Nature doesn't rain on the space agency's parade.The Orion spacecraft is set to launch Thursday at 7:05 a.m. EST (1205 GMT) from a pad here at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. A huge Delta 4 Heavy rocket, built by the United Launch Alliance, will loft the spaceship on its way, with current forecasts predicting a favorable 60-percent chance of good weather for the test flight.How NASA's Landmark Orion Spacecraft Test Flight Will WorkMiriam Kramer- Space.comNASA is planning to launch a test mission for its newest space capsule designed to eventually bring humans deeper into space than ever before. But the bold test flight, scheduled for Dec. 4, doesn't come without risks.Where are the best places to watch ULA's Delta IV power Orion to orbit?Jason Rhian - Spaceflight InsiderIt takes a lot of planning and coordination to get the test article of a spacecraft into orbit. Even finding the right place to watch a launch from can be time-consuming and confusing. With available hotel rooms in the region sold out, the areas that make for the best viewing locations – are liable to be packed. SpaceFlight Insider provides this free guide to the best spots to watch as NASA works to reignite human deep space exploration efforts.ESA Members Agree To Build Ariane 6, Fund Station Through 2017Peter B. de Selding – Space NewsThe member governments of the European Space Agency on Dec. 2 agreed to develop a new-generation Ariane 6 rocket to maintain Europe's share of the global commercial launch market, to enhance the power of the current Vega small-satellite launcher and fund the use of the international space station through 2017.House-Senate Conference Measure To End Pentagon Use of RD-180Mike Gruss – Space NewsU.S. lawmakers have finalized legislation that will prohibit the future use of a Russian-built rocket engine that is routinely used to launch U.S. national security satellites.Weather clears to allow Hayabusa 2 asteroid probe launch on third tryMasanobu Higashiyama - Asahi ShimbunAfter two previous delays due to weather, the Hayabusa 2 probe finally lifted off on Dec. 3 on a round-trip mission to an asteroid that scientists hope will provide clues to the origins of life.COMPLETE STORIESNASA Sees Capsule Test as a Step Toward MarsKenneth Chang – New York TimesFor the first time since Apollo 17 returned from the moon in 1972, NASA is scheduled to loft an astronaut capsule on Thursday to soar beyond low Earth orbit.No one will be aboard this flight test of the new capsule, Orion, but NASA hopes it is the first step toward human exploration of the solar system, including an eventual landing on Mars. Orion's first manned mission is planned for the early 2020s."Thursday is the beginning of that journey," Mark Geyer, Orion's program manager, said at a news conference on Tuesday.Orion, which looks like a larger version of the cone-shaped Apollo capsule, is sitting atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:05 a.m. Thursday, minutes after sunrise. In case of bad weather, the launching can be pushed back by up to two hours and 39 minutes.The rocket's second stage should push the 11-foot-long Orion into an elliptical orbit that reaches 3,600 miles above the Earth's surface on its second orbit. (By contrast, the International Space Station is about 250 miles from Earth.)Orion will then re-enter the Earth's atmosphere at 20,000 miles per hour, close to the speeds of a capsule returning from the moon, and temperatures on its heat shield will approach 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.At the end of the four-and-a-half-hour flight, it will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, about 600 miles off the coast of Baja California, and will be pulled from the water by an amphibious Navy ship, the Anchorage. The capsule will then be trucked back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for closer examination.The flight, estimated to cost $375 million, will provide a full-scale test of the performance of Orion's parachutes, heat shield and other systems, with 1,200 sensors recording data."We expect it to go fine, but you really have to fly it to test it out," Mr. Geyer said.While the capsule will not be carrying any people, it will be taking mementos and artifacts. They include a small sample of lunar soil, part of a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil and several artistic works, like poems by Maya Angelou and a recording of the Mars movement from Gustav Holst's "The Planets."Also aboard will be some items from "Sesame Street": Cookie Monster's cookie, Ernie's rubber ducky and Grover's cape, part of a collaboration between NASA and the children's television program to promote science and math education.After the flight test, NASA's progress for future astronaut missions will be slow, hemmed in by tight federal budgets and competing visions of the agency's future. Orion's next flight, also without people aboard, is not expected until 2018, and the first ride for astronauts would not occur until at least 2021."We feel really fortunate to be in the budget plan, a bipartisan agreement on the budget plan, and our job is to execute to that plan," Mr. Geyer said. "Yeah, I wish we could go faster, but I think this is a good plan."The next destination is also unclear. NASA is pursuing the idea of capturing a small asteroid and taking it to the neighborhood of the moon, and astronauts would then fly in Orion to the asteroid to take a look. NASA officials contend that this "asteroid redirect" mission would be within its budget and would develop technologies necessary for the eventual trip to Mars.Some skeptics have questioned whether Orion, originally part of a program started under President George W. Bush to send astronauts back to the moon, is even necessary, or a waste of billions of dollars.The Obama administration canceled Orion and the entire moon program as too expensive and too far behind schedule. But many members of Congress disagreed, and NASA revived a stripped-down version of Orion to be used as a lifeboat for the International Space Station, then resumed a design very close to what had been canceled.NASA also started work on a heavy-lift rocket known as the Space Launch System that will carry Orion on future launchings. Together, the rocket and the capsule are estimated to cost $19 billion to $22 billion.Some House Republicans have pushed to revive plans to return to the moon, but have not proposed funds to build a lander.Meanwhile, NASA is financing the development of two other capsules, built by Boeing and the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, better known as SpaceX, for taking astronauts to and from the space station beginning in 2017, part of what the space agency calls its commercial crew program."Orion won't survive regular commercial crew flight," James A. M. Muncy, a space policy consultant who advocates a more entrepreneurial approach to human spaceflight, wrote in an email interview.Boeing officials have maintained that their capsule is designed only for taking people to low Earth orbit, but Elon Musk, the chief executive of SpaceX, has in the past promoted his Dragon capsule, developed at a much lower cost than Orion, as a possible replacement for Orion for trips to deep space.After the first unmanned Dragon test flight in 2010, Mr. Musk said he hoped NASA would at least consider the possibility. "Dragon has arguably more capability than Orion," he said then. "Basically, anything Orion can do, Dragon can do."But officials at NASA and Lockheed Martin, the builder of Orion, say it is specifically designed for longer missions, up to 21 days for four astronauts.The spacecraft also needs to carry several times as much oxygen, food and water as on a trip to low Earth orbit and provide practical amenities for the astronauts. "It has a bathroom," Josh B. Hopkins, the space exploration architect at Lockheed Martin, said in an interview.Orion could take part in an eventual monthslong trip to Mars as part of a larger spacecraft that included more living space for the astronauts.NASA prepares to test the spaceship that could take us to MarsChristian Davenport – The Washington PostAs the last man to walk on the moon prepared to fly back to Earth in 1972, astronaut Eugene Cernan echoed the words of the first, pledging with Neil-Armstrong-like grandiosity that "we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind." He later predicted that humans would reach Mars by the end of the 20th century.Now Cernan admits: "I was a little off on my timing."Forty-two years after Cernan's Apollo 17 mission touched down, not a single person has walked on the moon. A Mars landing is surely decades away, at best. And not a single space ship designed to carry astronauts has left Low Earth Orbit.But at 7:05 Thursday morning, NASA is scheduled to take what it calls a huge step toward advancing the nation's human space flight program, with the much-anticipated first test flight of the Orion spacecraft.If all goes according to plan, the uncrewed Orion, manufactured by Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin, would blast off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., orbit the Earth twice, hitting an altitude of about 3,600 miles above the surface of the planet. That's farther than any spacecraft designed for humans has gone in more than 40 years.Even though it is expected to last just 4.5 hours and won't have people on board, the test flight "is a big deal," NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden has said. ("A BFD," he reportedly told one audience recently. "Forty years!")William Hill, a top NASA official, recently told reporters that the test flight is "absolutely the biggest thing that this agency is going to do this year."Unlike the capsules being developed by SpaceX and Boeing that would ferry astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station, Orion is designed to go deep into space, "farther than humans have ever traveled," according to NASA. The test flight alone would go 15 times farther than the space station.But NASA and Lockheed have grander plans for the Orion, which resembles prior capsules such as the Apollo, but which officials say is vastly more advanced.Sometime in the 2020s, NASA plans to capture an asteroid with a robotic spacecraft, then drag it to the moon's orbit where it would connect with the Orion. Astronauts would then be able to take samples from the asteroid.The big target, however, remains Mars. And Thursday's test flight will help "put Mars within the reach of astronauts in the 2030s," NASA says.But the asteroid mission has been derided as a stunt—"That's a dumb idea to start with. It's nothing but talk," Cernan said. The program for Mars has been fitful, and is to many a fantasy, especially considering that since the retirement of the space shuttle three years ago, the U.S. has not been able to send its astronauts to space from American soil."Forty-two years ago I walked on the moon," Cernan said. "And today we can't even put an American in space on American hardware. That's heartbreaking. It's disappointing. I cannot believe or imagine that we allowed this happen. … I anticipated we'd be well on our way, by golly, by now to Mars and there's no reason we couldn't have been."Orion originally grew out of a George W. Bush administration program, called Constellation, to return to the moon by 2020. The Obama administration killed Constellation and made Mars the priority over a return to the Moon because, as President Obama said at the time, "We've been there before."In the nearly 10 years since it first awarded Lockheed to contract to build Orion, NASA has spent more than $9 billion on the program. It also is developing what it calls a Space Launch System rocket that would take Orion to deep space in future missions. Thursday's mission would use a Delta IV heavy rocket.The cost of the SLS and Orion could grow to more than $30 billion, said Marco Caceres, a senior space analyst with the Teal Group consulting firm. There is a fair amount of opposition to the asteroid mission in Congress, and a Mars landing, some 20 years away at best, remains a dream."To make matters worse," Caceres wrote in a recent blog, "is the painful fact that the rocket doesn't actually have a mission."The Mars program is subject to funding constraints and a balky political system."This is the problem with anything that takes 20 years — people have very short attention spans," Caceres said. "And you have numerous presidential administrations and Congresses, and inevitably someone gets around to canceling it, or reducing it."Still, the Orion test flight will be a huge day for NASA — and the Orion, which will face extreme conditions, from space radiation, to the 4,000 degree temperatures generated when it hits the atmosphere traveling at 20,000 mph.The test flight "is basically a compilation of what I would say are the riskiest events that we're going to see when we fly people," Hill, the senior NASA official, told reporters.There will be numerous "separation events" — the Launch Abort System, for example, and the crew module separation — that, Hill said, "have to work right the first time." The heat shield will be put to an extreme test. And then there are the numerous parachutes that have to deploy correctly so that the capsule lands safely in the Pacific Ocean.NASA is already looking ahead to Orion's next unmanned test flight in 2018, and the first manned flight in 2021 at the earliest. Mark Geyer, NASA's Orion Program Manager, said at a news briefing Tuesday that the long wait times are "budget driven.""I wish it would go faster, but I think this is a good plan given the budget we've got," he said.The October explosion of the unmanned Orbital Sciences rocket that was to supply the space station is hanging over the launch. So is the recent crash of the Virgin Galactic spacecraft that killed the co-pilot.Those incidents "remind us that this business is very difficult," said Mike Hawes, Lockheed's Orion Program Manager.Officials have done everything they can to "identify your risks and do everything you can to mitigate them. But you still fly with a level of risk."Geyer said he hoped "everything is perfect" and that there are "high-fives" all around after ward. But officials will be looking for the things that aren't perfect, so they "can learn and fix it before we put people on board."After Orion launch, big steps lie ahead for Mars trip, NASA saysScott Powers –Orlando SentinelIf creating the new Orion space capsule or developing a new deep-space rocket are complex and critical breakthroughs, NASA's remaining challenges to send humans to Mars are no less daunting, officials said Tuesday.NASA's next-generation capsule, Orion, is ready for its maiden launch Thursday at 7:05 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Space-agency officials call it the first step for a human journey to Mars.It is truly a beautiful planet. It has fabulous vistas. It has a number of resources that we are finding out about, and we are planning to move toward human exploration of Mars," Jim Green, NASA's Planetary Science Division director, said during a new briefing held jointly in Washington and Kennedy Space Center.Yet the Orion, and the Space Launch System rocket being developed for a 2018 launch, are only the first steps. Development of human life support, fuel, communication and Martian landing systems are in much earlier development. Those challenges and budget concerns leave NASA officials saying they hope to reach Mars sometime in the 2030s.The overriding challenge is that it would take astronauts more than a year to get there, so they'll have to take everything they need or have it waiting for them along the way, said Jason Crusan, director of NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems Division."We describe it as … going from an Earth-reliant to an Earth-independent phase," Crusan said.Among the challenges:•The agency thinks it impractical to carry enough liquid or solid fuel. So NASA is exploring high-powered solar-electric engines to propel Orion through space. That could be viable by the end of this decade, said James Reuther, NASA's deputy associate administrator for space-technology mission programs.• NASA's current communication systems are radio-based and only carry a tiny fraction of the information necessary. The agency is working on laser-based optical-communication technologies. It could be workable by the early 2020s, Reuther said.•To land on Mars, NASA plans to adapt technologies used to land the Curiosity Martian rover two years ago. Scaling that to handle a far-heavier human craft may not happen until the early 2030s, he said.•NASA must develop living quarters for the astronauts' long journeys and for stays in orbit around Mars and on that planet. The agency is considering sending up habitats in advance, placing them in orbit near Earth's moon, in orbit around Mars and on Mars' surface. Orion astronauts could use them on the way, Crusan said.The Flight of OrionA new spacecraft takes flight, but to where?Paul D. Spudis - Air & SpaceA milestone in the program to develop a new human spaceflight system is set to occur this week, as the first unmanned flight of the new Orion spacecraft lifts off from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 37 on Thursday. This mission will test the overall flight qualities of the new Orion spacecraft. Many systems are still to be developed, with pieces of the spacecraft needed for human occupation replaced on this flight by instrumentation. The tests are designed to observe the vehicle's responses to the dynamic environments of launch, orbit, high-speed re-entry and splashdown. Such flight test articles are called "boilerplate" vehicles.The flight profile of Thursday's test is similar in scope to the first test flights of the Apollo boilerplates. The general concerns are to monitor aerodynamic stresses during the key flight phases of launch and re-entry to assure that hull integrity is maintained and that operations in space are as expected. It is a test flight with limited objectives and expectations. But as the only human spaceflight event of any future significance in the calendar year, it has ramped up media interest and their coverage about the significance and potential of Orion.Contrary to some articles, Orion is not a "replacement" for the Space Shuttle, which had capabilities and features that no planned future vehicle will possess. The Shuttle could transport as many as seven people to and from low Earth orbit (but could not journey beyond LEO). In addition, it could carry up to 24 metric tons of cargo in its payload bay. It could stay in orbit about two weeks, limited primarily by the amount of hydrogen and oxygen needed to generate electrical power from its fuel cells. The massive stable platform of the Shuttle payload bay, in conjunction with its dexterous robotic Canada arm, could grapple recalcitrant satellites, temporarily install them in holding cradles for repair and service, and then release them back into space. The Shuttle also had an airlock, through which astronauts conducting an EVA could exit and enter the spacecraft without depressurizing the entire vehicle.The new Orion spacecraft can take up to seven people into space and back, but it is not designed to carry cargo or to service on-orbit satellites. It has no airlock, so the entire crew will have to be fully suited during EVA. Because the Orion has solar panels, it can stay somewhat longer in space, up to a few weeks, but has much less total electrical power available (about 6 kW) than did the Shuttle (21 kW continuous, 36 kW peak). Orion is designed for missions beyond LEO, i.e., human expeditions to destinations in deep space. NASA describes Orion as the "first piece" of the system needed to attain their long-term goal – a human Mars mission.Put more accurately, Orion represents a small piece of an envisioned human Mars mission system. Its principal role will be to serve as the re-entry and splashdown vehicle for crew return. With a habitable volume of only about 9 cubic meters (for four people), it is too small to support even a skeleton crew on a three-year mission to Mars and back. For comparison, a typical Recreational Vehicle (RV) contains about 28 cubic meters of habitable volume per person. Imagine living inside the nine-cubic meter Orion spacecraft (about the volume of a small, walk-in closet) for three years, with the bulk of that time being the transit flight between Earth and Mars. When you listen carefully to agency people talk about Mars missions, you will hear about something called a "habitation module." This would be the actual living quarters of the crew during such a mission, most probably some derivative of an International Space Station (ISS) module. This vehicle does not now exist, even in conceptual form. Beyond this, there is also the requirement for a yet-to-be-designed lander and ascent vehicle for the actual Mars excursion.In short, any reports you may read about Orion being NASA's "Mars spacecraft" are misleading at best and/or downright false, at worst. The Orion is actually a spacecraft optimized for cislunar spaceflight, missions which traverse the bounds of Earth-Moon space for a duration of a few weeks at most. This fact should come as no real revelation as Orion is the remnant of Project Constellation, the architecture that the agency chose to implement the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE), which President Obama cancelled in his 2010 budget submission. That system consisted of four pieces – the Orion spacecraft, a lunar lander called Altair, and the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. Our re-tooled human space program consists only of Orion and the Space Launch System rocket, a scaled-down version of the scrapped Ares V launch vehicle.The main problem with Orion is not the spacecraft or its specific design, but its mission. It doesn't have one. We will need multiple pieces of technology and knowledge in order to conduct a Mars mission, in addition to several hundreds of billions of dollars, none of which are on tap now or are likely to be in the near future. Moreover, the Orion spacecraft occupies an uncomfortable niche, being significantly over-designed for trips to and from LEO and the ISS, and significantly under-designed for human Mars missions. It remains what it was designed for when first conceived in the 2005 Exploration Systems Architecture Study – a vehicle for cislunar missions.Given its abilities and limitations, what might Orion do and where might it go? NASA has embraced a proposal coming out of a 2012 Keck Institute workshop, in which an unmanned spacecraft (yet to be designed) is sent to a small (yet to be identified) asteroid in space, where it is bagged and then coaxed back into orbit around the Moon. Once in lunar orbit, a human crew using the Orion spacecraft can visit it. That, in short, is the "Asteroid Retrieval Mission" (ARM). This mission, while technically feasible, is of highly questionable value, both operationally and scientifically. There is a widespread perception in the space community that this mission is merely a "make-work" project, flown not to achieve any new capability or exploration objectives, but simply to conduct a mission – call it the mission, as there needs to be something other than the programmatic vacuum we're in. Even more telling are recent reports that this mission could not be flown before 2025, a full decade from now. It's one thing to wait a decade for the establishment of a lunar base – it's quite another to wait a decade for a proposed mission of questionable value.Another possibility is that Orion could be sent to Earth-Moon L-2, a point in space about 60,000 km above the far side of the Moon. From that stationary vantage point, astronauts in the Orion could control a teleoperated robotic rover on the lunar surface, collecting samples from the floor of the South Pole-Aitken basin, the largest (and probably oldest) impact feature on the Moon. Like the ARM, this mission would require additional hardware, in this case a rover to be delivered separately to the lunar surface as well as a small Earth-return vehicle to bring back lunar samples. In terms of both complexity and cost, the ARM and L-2 missions are probably comparable.The real issue is not which of these missions is best, but rather, why are we considering either of them? We are stuck with a new human spaceflight vehicle that is optimized for a mission that cannot even be acknowledged (lunar return) and thus, we are forced to improvise mission scenarios of dubious value to justify the program.Let's hope the test flight of Orion goes well this week. No doubt anomalies will be found and technical issues will be dealt with – this happens with all new spacecraft developments. But for now, Orion and SLS are what currently remain of our national civil human space program – starkly representing its uncertain future. Can we end up doing anything of lasting value with them? It will take clear-eyed leadership to navigate us out of this bind.
Weather Looks Good for NASA's Orion Spacecraft Test Flight ThursdayMiriam Kramer - Space.comNASA's newest space capsule, the Orion deep-space vehicle, is ready for a landmark test flight on Thursday (Dec. 4), and as long as Mother Nature doesn't rain on the space agency's parade.The Orion spacecraft is set to launch Thursday at 7:05 a.m. EST (1205 GMT) from a pad here at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. A huge Delta 4 Heavy rocket, built by the United Launch Alliance, will loft the spaceship on its way, with current forecasts predicting a favorable 60-percent chance of good weather for the test flight."[The rocket's] in good shape and we're really excited to launch this on Thursday," Ron Fortson, ULA director of mission management said in a mission update today (Dec. 2). "The weather is looking pretty good." [Orion's First Test Flight: Full Coverage]The spacecraft has about 2 hours and 39 minutes to get off the ground before the launch window closes for the day, and at the moment officials are predicting a 60 percent chance that weather will be favorable during that time.NASA officials are somewhat concerned that rain in the area Thursday could delay the launch, however, there is still a high chance that the rocket will be able to launch at some point in the long launch window. Officials also added that everything is looking good with the rocket and Orion ahead of the launch.For Orion's first test flight — called Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) — the capsule will be lofted high above Earth, making two orbits of the planet before splashing down and hopefully being recovered in the Pacific Ocean about 4.5 hours later. Officials are also expecting good weather in the splashdown area Thursday.Orion's second orbit will take it about 3,600 miles away from Earth, farther than any spacecraft built for humans has gone in more than 40 years. Earth will fill about 60 percent of Orion's window when it reaches that high point in its mission, NASA officials said.After reaching its peak altitude, the spacecraft will then begin its descent back to Earth's surface. The Orion capsule will be exposed to extreme heat when it comes back through the planet's atmosphere from relatively deep space.Officials are expecting that the capsule will be flying through space at 20,000 mph (32,000 km/h) when it slams into Earth's atmosphere. This speed will generate temperatures of about 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees Celsius), allowing officials to test the effectiveness of the capsule's enormous heat shield.NASA officials hope that one day Orion will help deliver humans to Mars or an asteroid towed into orbit around the moon."Part of me hopes that everything is perfect," Mark Geyer, NASA Orion Program manager said during the news conference. "We land, high fives, everybody has a great time, but really, in a flight test like this, if there are subtleties in how the vehicle behaves with the environments, or subtleties with how systems actually behave with one another during flight, my hope it that we find that on this test flight."The Orion spacecraft is flying with more than 1,000 sensors that will collect data allowing NASA officials to see how the capsule's important systems behave in the space environment. In total, 55 percent of the systems necessary for the first crewed mission will be used during EFT-1.Orion's first launch atop NASA's new mega-rocket, the Space Launch System, is slated for December 2017, but that target could potentially slip later, Geyer said, adding that an updated launch target has yet to be released yet.You can watch the history-making 4.5-hour Orion test live on Space.com via NASA TV Thursday, beginning at 4 a.m. EST (0900 GMT).How NASA's Landmark Orion Spacecraft Test Flight Will WorkMiriam Kramer- Space.comNASA is planning to launch a test mission for its newest space capsule designed to eventually bring humans deeper into space than ever before. But the bold test flight, scheduled for Dec. 4, doesn't come without risks.The space agency is sending its first Orion space capsule thousands of miles above Earth for the first time, and officials expect to retrieve it again when it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean. While the capsule will be unmanned during the test, it doesn't mean that people won't be intimately involved with some of the riskiest aspects of the mission. Officials will need to be on hand to fish Orion out of the Pacific Ocean after splashdown — a particularly risky aspect of the mission for the people involved."The environment in the open ocean is a hazardous environment in and of itself," Jeremy Graeber, recovery director for the test flight, said during a news conference. "Nominally, the vehicle coming down should not pose any threats to the recovery forces, but it's a test flight, so there are systems that we are not 100 percent sure we know what position they're in once we're splashed down. We have high confidence that they'll be in great shape, but we've prepared ourselves in case there are some issues." [Step-by-Step Guide for NASA's 1st Orion Spacecraft Test Flight]Specifically, the propellant, ammonia and radiating elements of the craft used for telemetry could pose a hazard once back on Earth, but officials are prepared to handle those situations should they arise, Graeber added. The various teams working on the test flight will be in communication so that everyone remains safe.During the Dec. 4 test, called Exploration Flight Test-1, Orion — which was built for NASA by Lockheed Martin — will launch to space atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy rocket. The unmanned space capsule will then make two orbits of Earth, flying about 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers) above the planet — close to 15 times higher than the orbit of the International Space Station.When Orion hits the planet's atmosphere during re-entry, the spacecraft will be speeding at about 20,000 mph (32,000 km/h), according to NASA. The capsule's huge heat shield, the biggest of its kind ever made, will be put to the test during the re-entry. Officials will also test the spacecraft's huge parachute system used to slow down the descent of Orion after it comes through the atmosphere.All in all, the Orion test flight should take about 4.5 hours. The test's 2-hour-and-39-minute launch window opens at 7:05 a.m. EST (1205 GMT) on Dec. 4. Splashdown should happen at about 11:29 a.m. EST (1629 GMT) if all goes according to plan.Officials working with NASA are hoping to gather a wealth of data during the test, to see what kind of environments astronauts and the machinery protecting them might experience during a trip to space that takes them far from low-Earth orbit, where the space station is positioned.Scientists and engineers want to test how key systems on Orion work during this test. Eventually, NASA officials hope that modified versions of Orion will take humans to deep-space destinations like an asteroid, and even Mars. Engineers working with the computers onboard Orion hope to see how the instruments behave when they're exposed to high amounts of radiation outside Earth's protective atmosphere."We do have radiation sensors on board, for example, so we're actually measuring different parts of the vehicle for what we're seeing, what the environment is inside," said Mark Geyer, Orion program manager. "We have 1,200 sensors, and a lot of those are loads, so they measure the impact loads when we land [and during] ascent. We'll get acoustic data inside and out, so we know how loud it is — those kinds of things. A lot of that is for the vehicle, but it's also to understand what the environment for the crew is going to be."People on Earth will have a firsthand view of how Orion is doing throughout the test. The spacecraft will fly to space complete with cameras that should send information back to Earth throughout the test flight.Where are the best places to watch ULA's Delta IV power Orion to orbit?Jason Rhian - Spaceflight InsiderIt takes a lot of planning and coordination to get the test article of a spacecraft into orbit. Even finding the right place to watch a launch from can be time-consuming and confusing. With available hotel rooms in the region sold out, the areas that make for the best viewing locations – are liable to be packed. SpaceFlight Insider provides this free guide to the best spots to watch as NASA works to reignite human deep space exploration efforts.There are an array of spots that are superb viewing locations. The first, and most obvious, is the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The tourist destination has three days of activities planned for the first flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft. Starting on Dec. 2, the destination, ran by Delaware North, will host events with officials, astronauts as well as presentations highlighting the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle, Orion spacecraft and NASA's plans to return to the business of exploring worlds far from our own. For more information: Kennedy Space Center Visitor ComplexThe next great spot to view United Launch Alliance's most powerful offering lift off from - is Playlinda Beach. Given that a good many of the nation's residents are dealing with record cold temperatures and snowstorms, this location allows the public to enjoy the warm Florida climate, take in the sights and sounds of the beach – and then watch a massive launch vehicle take to the skies.Playalinda opens at 6 a.m. EST and visitors only have to pay $5 per vehicle. Playalinda Beach is actually located on a barrier island separated from the mainland by the Indian River. For More Info: 321-267-1110.Directions to Playalinda Beach: If you are coming from U.S. HWY-1 via Titusville, turn right at Garden Street/Route 406. Go across the A. Max Brewer Parkway Memorial Bridge – follow the road until the end.For those on a budget, perhaps the least expensive location from which to view the launch from – is Port Canaveral. Visitors can merely stop alongside of the road – and watch the launch. The primary difficulty – will likely be finding a spot to park. Arrive early as all of the best spots will fill up quickly.Directions to Port Canaveral: Take SR-528, "The Beachline" toward Titusville. After you reach the Port Canaveral area, take "Exit A North Terminals." Once you've done that you will cross over a small drawbridge, go around the curve in the road – this will take you right behind the port. If you are coming from the opposite direction (the east) you will travel from A1A (this will eventually become SR-528). Click here for directions to the Port Canaveral area: Port CanaveralIf you want to hear the iconic countdown procedure for yourself? Tune into 146.940 MHz.The Delta IV HeavyWith the decision of where to watch the launch from – what will you be seeing? What is the capabilities of the Delta IV Heavy? Why was it chosen to carry out the first flight of Orion.The Delta IV Heavy was first launched on Dec. 21, 2004 on a test flight of the triple-bodied booster.This Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) is the Heavy variant of the Delta IV family of rockets which include the following: Delta Medium, M+ 4,2, M+ 5,2, M+, and M+5,4. The Delta IV family of boosters are produced by Boeing / United Launch Alliance and can trace its lineage back to 1960.Colorado-based ULA launches the Delta IV from two sites in the United States – Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37) and Vandenberg Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6). The launch sites are located in Florida and California respectively.In many ways, the Delta IV Heavy is more like three rockets in one. This is because of the three Common Booster Cores or "CBCs" that make up the booster. For comparison, the Delta Medium class launch vehicles – only use a single CBC. The Heavy's booster cores do not use propellant cross feeding, further enhancing the appearance of this launch vehicle actually being three rockets working together as one.The outer CBCs do not remain with the rocket throughout the course of the flight. The outer CBCs, much like conventional solid rocket boosters are jettisoned about four minutes into the flight. Once their job is complete, they are separated from the central CBC via pyrotechnic charges, jettisoned and left to fall back to Earth.Each of the CBCs employs a single Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68 engine in its first stage. The RS-68 utilizes super-cooled liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as fuel. Each CBC has an engine, a LH and LOX tank, intertank component and interstage section.The LH and LOX tanks are welded to the rocket's bulkhead and are comprised of an aluminum-isogrid structure with five isogrid structures.The similarity in appearance to a Delta IV CBC and the Space Shuttles' external tank – comes from the same source – a spray on insulating foam. This is down to prevent ice from forming on the CBC when it passes through Earth's upper atmosphere.A liquid oxygen fuel line runs down the outside of each booster core. This is the highly-visible vertical white "line" on each CBC.The RS-68 was originally developed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and has been described as being the powerful hydrogen-fueled engine in the world. The engine can be viewed as a simpler, less-expensive version of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) or RS-25 engine that was used on NASA's fleet of shuttles. Unlike the RS-25, the RS-68 is a single-use engine.The Delta IV Heavy measures some 45 feet (15 meters) at its base and stands about 233 feet (71 meters) tall. It has a mass at liftoff of some 1,616,000 lbs (733,000 kg). The Delta IV Heavy has the capacity to hoist some 63,470 lbs (28,790 kg) to low-Earth orbit and 31,350 lbs (14,220 kg) to a geostationary transfer orbit.The Delta IV Heavy's Delta Cryogenic Second Stage or "DCSS" has a diameter of 15 feet (five meters) as well as larger fuel tanks which allow it to carry about 60,010 lbs (27,220 kilograms) of fuel. The Delta Cryogenic Second Stage uses a single RL10B-2 rocket engine. An anomaly consisting of an engine under pressure occurred during the Oct. 4, 2012 flight of the GPS IIF3 satellite. This caused a series of delays. ULA eventually determined that the problem involved a leak in the thrust chamber of the RL-10B2 and the rocket has returned to its normal processing flows and launches.ESA Members Agree To Build Ariane 6, Fund Station Through 2017Peter B. de Selding – Space NewsThe member governments of the European Space Agency on Dec. 2 agreed to develop a new-generation Ariane 6 rocket to maintain Europe's share of the global commercial launch market, to enhance the power of the current Vega small-satellite launcher and fund the use of the international space station through 2017.The space station funding included the remaining payments needed to build the propulsion module for NASA's second Orion deep-space crew capsule, which is slated to pay an unmanned visit to near-lunar space in 2017 or 2018.The spending package also included sufficient new cash to continue work on the Euro-Russian ExoMars mission to Mars, notably with a European rover to launch in 2018, and funds for a series of telecommunications programs including new partnerships with commercial fleet operators Intelsat of the United States, Inmarsat of London and Eutelsat of Paris.The speed of the decision-making — government ministers arrived here Dec. 1 and wrapped up their work to leave early in the evening Dec. 2 — belied the substantial stresses before the meeting between three of ESA's top four contributors, France, Germany and Italy.A key area of contention was settled on the eve of the ministerial conference, with Germany agreeing to France's plan to skip a proposed upgrade to the existing Ariane 5 rocket and proceed directly to the Ariane 6.ESA governments plan to spend nearly 8.2 billion euros ($10.2 billion) over 10 years on launch-related programs. Slightly more than half of this will go to developing the new Ariane 6, to be operational in 2020. The rocket will feature either two or four solid-rocket strap-on boosters, depending on the mission.Also included in this budget is money to develop a 120,000-kilogram solid-rocket motor that will serve as the Ariane 6 strap-on booster and as the first stage for the enhanced Vega rocket. The first new-generation Vega is scheduled for launch in 2018.The remaining portion of the launcher money will be spent on the continued use of, and minor tinkering with, the current Ariane 5 ECA rocket and today's Vega, as well as for the annual support payments made to the Arianespace launch consortium to permit it to avoid financial losses.The Ariane 6 business model is designed to fit a new joint-venture company by Airbus Defence and Space and rocket-motor maker Safran.Airbus and Safran on Dec. 3 announced the formation of Airbus Safran Launchers, with an initial workforce of 450, saying the company would begin formal operations on Jan. 1. The announcement said the creation of the joint venture "naturally assumes an in-principle agreement for the transfer to the JV of shares in Arianespace held by" the French space agency, CNES.Genevieve Fioraso, France's space minister, said the transfer of CNES's 34 percent stake in the Arianespace commercial operator will be postponed to some future date.The joint venture will be guaranteed five government launches per year at fixed prices. The business model presumes that the company will be able to find commercial customers for six launches per year. The idea is that Airbus, Safran and the future members of the joint venture will receive no subsidies for their commercial launches.Industry officials said that, on occasion, the heavier Ariane 64 vehicle will have to be sold at cost — about 91 million euros for a vehicle carrying two commercial satellites into geostationary orbit — to remain competitive.What happens if European governments cannot round up five missions per year? ESA Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain brushed aside the question, saying that between ESA, the meteorological satellite agency Eumetsat, the national space agencies in Europe and the European Commission, it should not be a problem to maintain the five-per-year pace.In any event, Dordain said at a press briefing after the conference, the Ariane 6 program will be subject to a late-2016 review at which its operating assumptions will be tested in light of the program's progress between now and then.The international space station, meanwhile, had been viewed as perhaps the most contentious issue for the conference. Germany had made clear that it would not continue to finance the gap left in 2012, when Italy sharply reduced its participation, to less than 10 percent, because of the Italian financial crisis.Germany insisted that Italy return to its previous contribution level of 19 percent.ESA had asked its governments for about 820 million euros to cover the remaining work on the Orion service module, plus three years of European operations of its space station module, astronaut visits and experiment supply.When the Orion service module budget is removed, that left around 600 million euros that ESA needed. It came up short by about 20 million euros, a gap Dordain said would not have any serious effect on the use of the station.The gap would have been greater were it not for the willingness of Britain, which until 2012 had wanted nothing to do with astronauts and the station, to boost its participation to about 5.5 percent.In the end, Italy confirmed that it would return to the 19 percent level, despite securing less money for space spending over the next several years than it had expected. Where did it find the money?Italian Space Agency President Roberto Battiston explained it this way: Italy has agreed that its total contribution to the space station over six years — not the three years for which ESA asked for commitments — will be 19 percent.But the last three of these years, 2018-2020, are now expected to feature a decline in space station funding as Europe prepares to end its participation. Current estimates are that the annual costs will fall sharply starting in 2017.Battiston said Italy will thus be under the 19 percent level for 2015 through 2017, and above 19 percent for the latter three years, when the total spending amount will be lower.It may have raised eyebrows, but it was enough to win the applause of Germany's space minister, Brigitte Zypries, and allow Germany to redirect 15 million euros of planned space station spending toward the ExoMars project — which was Italy's highest priority at the conference.House-Senate Conference Measure To End Pentagon Use of RD-180Mike Gruss – Space NewsU.S. lawmakers have finalized legislation that will prohibit the future use of a Russian-built rocket engine that is routinely used to launch U.S. national security satellites.The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2015, recently finalized by House and Senate negotiators, also requires the Defense Department to replace the Russian engine, dubbed RD-180, with an American-made propulsion system by 2019.SpaceNews obtained a summary of the compromise bill, which is expected to be voted on in the House later this week.The RD-180 is the main engine on United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rocket, one of two vehicles the company uses to launch most U.S. government satellites and virtually all national security missions.The RD-180 is built by NPO Energomash of Russia and sold to ULA by RD-Amross, a joint venture between Energomash and United Technologies Corp. The arrangement has come under fire from Capitol Hill and elsewhere due to the deterioration in U.S.-Russian relations, which accelerated this year over the crisis in Ukraine.The U.S. Air Force last year awarded ULA an $11 billion sole-source contract for Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets that runs through 2019. The RD-180s ordered as part of this contract are exempt from the pending legislation, according to the conference report summary.The conference measure also retains the framework of language, inserted into the Senate version of the bill by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), that bars the Pentagon from signing new contracts or renewing existing contracts with launch companies that rely on Russian suppliers.The Defense Department had asked lawmakers to strike that provision from the bill during conference out of concern that it could immediately hamper its ability to launch satellites.The compromise legislation does, however, allow for a waiver process for national security missions "if space launch services cannot be obtained at a fair and reasonable price without the use of the Russian RD-180 engines," the summary said.The Air Force currently has ULA's Delta 4 rocket, which is powered by U.S.-made engines, at its disposal, and is on the verge of certifying SpaceX's all-U.S. Falcon 9 rocket to launch national security missions. SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corp., is pushing to break ULA's monopoly in the national security market and is challenging ULA's sole-source contract in court.At the same time, the Air Force is exploring options for reducing its dependence on Russian engine technology and ULA has joined forces with the Blue Origin rocket venture, led by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, to develop an alternatve to the RD-180 that they say will be ready by 2019.The finalized authorization bill also boosts the number of launches the Air Force would put up for competition, according to the summary.Currently, the Air Force is planning on putting seven, and possibly eight, missions up for bid from fiscal years 2015 through 2017 as part of an initiative to reduce its satellite launching costs.The legislation requires the Air Force to add a competitive mission in 2015 — this would be in addition to a National Reconnaissance Office mission already on the books — and one more between then and 2017, according to the summary.Weather clears to allow Hayabusa 2 asteroid probe launch on third tryMasanobu Higashiyama - Asahi ShimbunAfter two previous delays due to weather, the Hayabusa 2 probe finally lifted off on Dec. 3 on a round-trip mission to an asteroid that scientists hope will provide clues to the origins of life.The Hayabusa 2 was launched into orbit by the 26th H-2A rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center run by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).JAXA said the probe separated from the rocket over the Pacific Ocean at about 3 p.m. when it reached an orbit of 900 kilometers.A light drizzle fell on Tanegashima island during the morning, but the weather cleared and sunlight broke through the clouds allowing for the launch.The rocket lifted off in accordance with the day's schedule at 1:22 p.m.The Hayabusa 2 is expected to reach 1999 JU3, a nearly spherical asteroid about 900 meters in diameter whose orbit lies between the Earth and Mars, in 2018.After collecting rock samples, the probe is scheduled to arrive back on Earth in 2020, the year Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympics.In total, the Hayabusa 2's journey will cover 5 billion kilometers and take six years.The probe is the successor of the Hayabusa, which became the world's first spacecraft to return to Earth with samples gathered on an asteroid in 2010.The first Hayabusa faced a number of problems, making its return to Earth seem like a miracle. Scientists learned lessons from problems they encountered on the first Hayabusa mission to make design changes and improvements.Like its predecessor, the Hayabusa 2 will collect rock samples. This time, though, it will include a new piece of equipment that will allow it to bore into the asteroid to reach layers that are erosion-free.The Dec. 3 operation was the 20th consecutive successful launch in 26 missions for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., giving it a 96 percent success rate.According to JAXA officials, the cost of developing and launching the Hayabusa 2 totaled 28.9 billion yen ($243 million).It was originally scheduled for liftoff Nov. 30. That launch was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. A second launch set for Dec. 1 was also delayed due to strong winds.ENDMore at www.spacetoday.net
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