Apollo 11 Launched via Saturn V rocket, July 16, 1969. [Photo: NASA]
In what is possibly the greatest move since the end of the Apollo Program, NASA has decided to bring back the capsule-like spacecraft, similar to what was used in the Apollo, Mercury, and Gemini programs. Someday in the near future you may be able to go to the Pacific to see a manned-capsule returning to Earth as it's hurling through the Earth's atmosphere at break-neck speeds, then see the chutes pop open, and the craft land gently in the water.
Earlier this week, NASA announced that it plans to send astronauts on deep space missions for durations of 21 days. The new system, called the Mult-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), will be based on the designs originally planned for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle under the cancelled Constellation Program. According to NASA, the spacecraft will have a pressurized volume of 690 cubic feet (316 of it habitable space) and it will be 10 times safer during ascent and reentry than the about-to-be-retired shuttle. MPCV is being designed with the help of Lockheed Martin Corporation.
In addition to deep-space missions the MPCV will be capable of regular orbital in-space operations including space walks, payload deliveries to other spacecraft, and so on. The MPCV will also be a capable backup system for delivering crew and cargo from and to the ISS. Read More
