Nasa's Orion 'Mars ship' set for test flight (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News, Cape Canaveral

A US space capsule that could help get humans to Mars is due to make its maiden flight later.

Orion will be launched on a Delta rocket out of Cape Canaveral in Florida on a short journey above the Earth to test key technologies.

The conical vessel is reminiscent of the Apollo command ships that took men to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, but bigger and with cutting-edge systems.

Given that this is a first outing, there will be no people aboard.

Nonetheless, the US space agency describes the demonstration as a major event.
***
more: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30234625




I think "later" was supposed to read "later today", if one assumes today to be Thursday (the article was posted on Wed at 4 min. to midnight).

[longship]

1. There's no way that that capsule is a Mars ship.

It may lead to one, but it is not this one.

1. It is too damned small for such a long mission.

2. Even if it is big enough, what good is a spacecraft which will not protect the astronauts from radiation? (Which invites the question of what good is a Mars mission that delivers its human occupants there dead?)

Jonathan Amos phrases it right. The Orion can "help get humans to Mars". But the headline is misleading because I don't know of anybody who credibly thinks that Orion is sufficient to that task.

The Orion is decidedly not a Mars ship.

[nitpicker]

2. They dropped later and may have revised the article

It now reads:

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30234625

3 December 2014 Last updated at 23:56 ET
Nasa's Orion 'Mars ship' set for test flight
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News, Cape Canaveral

A US space capsule that could help get humans to Mars is about to make its maiden flight. Orion will be launched on a Delta rocket out of Cape Canaveral in Florida on a short journey above the Earth to test key technologies. The conical vessel is reminiscent of the Apollo command ships that took men to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, but bigger and with cutting-edge systems.

Given that this is a first outing, there will be no people aboard. Nonetheless, the US space agency describes the demonstration as a major event. "This is huge; Thursday is a giant day for us," said Nasa administrator Charlie Bolden. Lift-off is scheduled to occur at 07:05 local time (12:05 GMT), depending on the weather and the technical readiness of all involved.
(snip)

[nitpicker]

3. The US Navy to retrieve items from the mission

http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=84687

Anchorage Departs on NASA's Orion Mission

Story Number: NNS141202-01Release Date: 12/2/2014 9:00:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Christopher A. Veloicaza, USS Anchorage Public Affairs

PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) departed from Naval Base San Diego to retrieve NASA equipment in the Pacific Ocean, Dec. 1.

Anchorage will use its amphibious capabilities to conduct an at-sea recovery of the Orion space capsule.

NASA operatives will launch Orion into Earth's orbit and wait for it to splash down into the Pacific Ocean for recovery. The launch window for this NASA mission terminates Dec. 19. Once launched, the capsule will take four hours to orbit the earth twice before it is recovered. The total duration of the operation from launch to recovery is entirely weather dependent and relies on numerous variables.

Anchorage will use a specially trained bridge team that will be on watch for the operation. Divers aboard small boats will maneuver alongside and rig tending lines to guide the capsule to Anchorage as the ship safely operates on station.
(snip)

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Still on hold due to high winds; about an hour and a half left in launch window (nt)