Aerospace Technology

Since the last lunar landing from Apollo 17 on December 7, 1972, humans have not set foot on the moon since, and President Bush has declared his Vision for Space Exploration policy on January 14, 2004. Project Constellation, a project from NASA that its goal is to explore the moon, is part of President Bush’s Vision for Space Exploration plan. To be even more specific, the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle for future generation of astronauts is part of the Project Constellation. After the Vision for Space Exploration policy was announced, NASA began the construction of the International Space Station. However, since the ISS is almost fully constructed, NASA administrators including Michael Griffin, head of administration of NASA, began developing ideas for future space exploration. Since our neighbor, the moon, is closest, NASA wanted to explore the moon, build a lunar base, and send astronauts to Mars. However to do that, scientists must develop high technological space suits, new space vehicles, and the first thing they must do is to create a spacecraft that will send astronauts to the moon. Currently, engineers are constructing the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle that will send astronauts to Mars.

The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) will have the job to ferry astronauts and scientists to the International Space Station from Earth. However, its main purpose in the future is to carry astronauts to other worlds beyond Earth’s orbit. Its ancestor, the Apollo Command Module also had the capability to reach beyond Earth’s orbit which it did and reached the moon. The Orion CEV will be the first to reach beyond Earth’s orbit since 1972. The CEV will have the shape of its Apollo ancestors but will contain twice the volume of an Apollo Command Module. Engineers believe that the interior of the CEV must be large enough to support a crew of six astronauts to the ISS and a crew of four for a long period of time for its future journeys to Mars.

The 16.5 feet wide Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle will be sent to space by the Ares V rocket also known as the Cargo Launch Vehicle or CalV. The Ares V rocket will consist of two types of propulsion, liquid and solid. The first stage of launch will be fired by liquid propulsion from two SRBs (Solid Rocket Boosters) already used from prior shuttle launches and an upgraded external tank. These components of the Ares V rocket provide liquid propulsion but this isn’t enough to thrust through Earth’s gravitational pull. The second stage which provides solid propulsion will have a single J-2X rocket engine that will cause the Ares V to have a continuous circular orbit. The Earth Departure Stage that contains the Orion CEV will then use the single J-2X engine to head in a trajectory line towards the moon. The Earth Departure Stage will then disconnect the Orion CEV and the Service Module. As the Orion CEV and the Service Module reach the moon, the Service Module will land on the moon while the Orion CEV orbits in the moon’s gravitational pull. After the astronauts resolve their experiments, they will board the Service Module and connect with the Orion CEV. With the Service Module’s propulsion, they will both reach the Earth where the Orion CEV will disconnect and fly through Earth’s atmosphere. As the Orion CEV is in a strong gravitational pull, it will open parachutes to decrease hard compact against Earth’s oceans.The Orion CEV’s first manned flight to the ISS is no later than 2014. Its first manned flight to the moon will be no later than 2020. A reason why the U.S. government decided to approve the Orion CEV and its launch rocket, Ares V, is because NASA will end its use of space shuttles at 2010. The shuttle’s main purpose was to transport people and space components to low-Earth orbit.

 Not only is Project Constellation developing new plans to transport people and objects into low-Earth orbit but is also developing advanced ways to send people and objects to the moon and eventually, to Mars. The reason why Project Constellation even started was not to create a new highly advanced spacecraft that overpowered the space shuttles but because of President Bush’s attempt to inspire the United States after the Columbia Disaster. After the Columbia Disaster, President Bush declared his Vision for Space Exploration to represent his will to continue space exploration regardless of the accidents that may occur. I, personally, share my opinion with President Bush. I believe that space exploration should continue regardless of accidents that may occur. For example, Christopher Columbus risked his life to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. If he had died, I believe that another expedition would be organized and sent. During times of discovery, risk is always experienced since the unknown is never fully revealed until it is too late. The same reason applies to space exploration. Exploration is to reveal the unknown which simply tells that anything can happen during explorations. Based on my brief personal thoughts, I agree with President Bush’s will to continue space exploration regardless of risks. Besides, exploration is exploration.

Information thanks to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_%28spacecraft%29, http://www.space.com/news/cs_060823_orion.html, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/orion/index.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_V, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/orion/index.html, and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/main/index.htmlOrion about to be connected onto the ISS. Orion re-entry.