its seems kinda small at 16 feet diameter for a 8 month journey for 2-4 people. Aren't they gonna attach it to something bigger where they could live? Like a tether space craft? thanks!
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The Constellation program was canceled, the Orion capsule will now serve as an escape vessel for the ISS. If there is to be a mission to Mars, a small space habitat will probably be contracted from Bigelow enterprises who now have the rights to NASA's transhab module. This habitat may be cable supported to provide a suitable rotational radius for Earth gravity or they may simply go with partial Earth gravity on the assumption that exercise could make up the difference. The habitat merely needs to be docked to a propulsion unit to become a Mars transfer vehicle. The SpaceX Dragon capsule can serve all the roles intended for the Orion capsule and indeed SpaceX is working on a Mars return vehicle version called Red Dragon which can also lift off from Mars after landing there.
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Yes, according to NASA, constellation canceled therefore the Orion has no launch vehicle other than a Delta V heavy and it's mission role has been reduced to an emergency return vehicle.
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There's 4 or 5 proposals for going to Mars; Orion is designed for 1- or 2-week missions, and could support a crew going to the Moon, but not to Mars.
Most Mars mission designs have spacecraft that are assembled in orbit, then sent to Mars. One proposal is to land an unmanned return vehicle on the surface, and let it use Mars' atmosphere to process it's own rocket fuel for the ascent into Martian orbit... when it's tanks are full, *then* we send men, land, they live on Mars for a few weeks to a month, then use the ascent vehicle to dock with the ship that returns them to Earth.
The advantages of sending a craft assembled in orbit are that you can send a much *larger* crew, for much *longer* stays, as you're not limited by any launch capability from the ground.
Most Mars mission designs have spacecraft that are assembled in orbit, then sent to Mars. One proposal is to land an unmanned return vehicle on the surface, and let it use Mars' atmosphere to process it's own rocket fuel for the ascent into Martian orbit... when it's tanks are full, *then* we send men, land, they live on Mars for a few weeks to a month, then use the ascent vehicle to dock with the ship that returns them to Earth.
The advantages of sending a craft assembled in orbit are that you can send a much *larger* crew, for much *longer* stays, as you're not limited by any launch capability from the ground.
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not it cannot. To small, not enough power, not designed to do this. Currently there is no spacecraft able even to reach the moon. There are plans for a trip to Mars, but they are heavily delayed, demanding and problematic.
Wernher von Braun, the "father" of the moon landing, thought in the 60s that astronauts would reach Mars in about 1988. Well, the politicians decided otherwise...
Wernher von Braun, the "father" of the moon landing, thought in the 60s that astronauts would reach Mars in about 1988. Well, the politicians decided otherwise...
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*Facepalm*