In 2010, the space shuttled is scheduled to be a thing of the past. It will be replaced by the Constellation Program - a return to the Apollo system of rockets and capsules. Building a moon base, visiting an asteroid, and taking humans to Mars: these are the goals of Constellation. The Apollo program established many of the technical principles upon which the new system is based. A key component of Constellation is the Orion capsule.
Orion is similar to Apollo but there are differences. For one thing, it can carry larger crews. For another, planners hope they can expand Orion's capabilities beyond that of Apollo through use of the latest communications, computing, electronics and structural design technologies. For example, Orion will have an array of solar panels that can unfold when needed in orbit. The Ares launch vehicle will boost the new capsule into space.
Ares will be nearly the size of the Saturn rocket. But the Orion crew module will be the only part of this massive system that will make the whole trip to the Moon and back. It may be reused as many as 10 times. Orion will have two missions: Lunar Sortie Missions, where the crew will stay on the Moon for four to seven days; and Lunar Outpost Missions, during which the moon base will be constructed and maintained. Orion will land in the western American desert, unlike the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules, which splased down in the ocean.
The future of the U.S. space program will be in the hands of the new President, Barack Obama. Obama will need to decide whether or not to hold to the 2010 date for retiring the space shuttle. The Constellation Program will not be ready until 2015, with a return to the Moon slated for 2020. This will leave us with a gap of five years. During this time, American astronauts will have to rely on the Russian Soyuz for trips to the International Space Station.
President-elect Obama has announced that his $18-billion-a-year education program will be funded by a five-year delay in the Constellation Program. However, the Center for American Progress is pressing for a reconsideration of the 2010 date. They believe the shuttle should continue flying until a suitable replacement becomes available.
The Constellation Program will be a high-tech return to old technologies. It will consist of the Ares rocket, which will be as big as the Saturn, and the Orion capsule. President Barack Obama will decide the future of the U.S. space program, which he does not see to be as important as other national needs. The space shuttle may have to be used past its 2010 retirement date.
