NASA Gives LockMart The Moon

NASA has picked Lockheed Martin Corp to build the Orion spacecraft. If all options and production orders are exercised the value of the deal could be $8.15 billion.

Yah, billion with one of those "Bs."

Against that keep in mind this could deliver an unspecified number of spaceships for flight to the lunar surface as well as the ISS (International Space Station).

And that each nuclear powered aircraft carrier or missile submarine runs, in round numbers, $2 billion. Or did.

By contrast this seems cheap but we've not yet begun to overrun our budget!

Orion should be able to carry 4 crew to the moon and six to the ISS. The hope is Mars missions will use the moon base as a jumping off point - made possible in part by the Orion vehicle.

Watch for the first crewed or "manned" (as NASA stills says) launch of Orion sometime in 2014. The moon is due for a visit in 2020. Can't wait to see the pictures.

More Space News

Space News: Manned Programs: Orion


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