Orion Spacecraft at the White House for the Made in America Showcase
NASA’s Orion spacecraft that flew Exploration Flight Test-1 on Dec. 5, 2014on the White House South Lawn. (Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA’s Orion spacecraft that flew Exploration Flight Test-1 on Dec. 5, 2014 is seen on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, July 22, 2018 in Washington, DC. Lockheed Martin, NASA’s prime contractor for Orion, began manufacturing the Orion crew module in 2011 and delivered it in July 2012 to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center where final assembly, integration and testing was completed. More than 1,000 companies across the country manufactured or contributed elements to the spacecraft.
33 responses to “Orion Spacecraft at the White House for the Made in America Showcase”
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Mission Accomplished
its like Ivanka’s clothing line, useless
and super expensive for what it is.
I heard that they tried to get Dragon 2 mockup and a Starliner mockup as well but SpaceX and Boeing kept pushing back the delivery date.
On SpaceX’s side its not for lack of trying, the requirements kept moving,
is it? Are you certain?
I expect the White House wanted real capsules, not mockups.
But SpaceX and Boeing (and Blue Origin) are likely too busy readying their real capsules for near-term flights to take time out for side-trips to DC.
Real Orion capsules, on the other hand, have no particularly urgent appointments.
Tongue was planted firmly in cheek but the real point was that the flight dates for both seems to be eternally slipping.
Dm1 Dragon is in Florida, if anything is eternally slipping its Senate Lunch Service
Finally. Now, when do they launch people?
As the recent GAO report made clear, they fly people right after the NASA “certification” bureaucrats eventually make up their minds what “safe enough” is.
Likely December or January. DM1 is going to require shifting cargo vehicle schedules around
I won’t speak for Boeing; they seem to have some real tech issues. (You’d almost think Boeing’s “experience” with capsule design retired a generation ago.)
SpaceX seems to have primarily NASA decision-deferral issues, as documented in the recent GAO report and in one from a few years back as well. (Boeing’s schedule does also suffer from these.)
IOW, it’s essentially NASA pushing back that delivery date.
And GAO’s information was outdated
While Orion is right on schedule for its 2017 launch?
It’s not about Orion, but frankly, all the big ticket items are slipping, SLS/Orion, Dragon 2, Starliner and the JWST have all slipped to the right. Everybody’s projections were too optimistic. But just for giggles, let’s start the stopwatch on BFR/BFS. We’ll see how close he gets to his projections while he is financing and building his system without government interference/funding.
That’s why I’m a doubter on BFR / BFS. Musk won’t build it with his own money. He wants NASA to kill SLS, and provide funding for his toys.
keep in mind that this particular orion was more mockup than the real thing.
IIRC, No lifesupport. Not full avionics. Nothing for a crew.
People just need to chill out. Dragon 2, Starliner, SLS/Orion and even the JWST will fly when they fly. Not like there’s anything we can do to influence the process.
Why bother chilling out if it has no effect on anything? Clearly, under such circumstances, the appropriate course of action is to bloviate.
FWIW, the process does occasionally respond to pressure from that relatively tiny slice of the public that actually cares about these things.
Aliens meet with Trump to discuss Space Force alliance.
No, aliens have already met Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Now that Mr. Podesta is saying the aliens were actually the ones that influenced the election they are probably avoiding DC for fear the FBI will start investigating their links to the election ?
We come in peace.
over 1,000 companies isn’t necessarily a good thing, not counting minor common component suppliers.
It is if you want to maximize the pork flow ?
Not featured: Ivanka’s clothing range and MAGA hats.
This is a made in America exhibit. I’m not sure Ivanka’s clothing fits that description. Probably not the hats either. Are there any baseball cap makers left in America ?
actually, there are multiple baseball cap makers.
I wonder if anyone told them that the Orion capsule is useless without the European built service module. I’d say Orion is 50% “made in America”.
They could mention that Obama’s NASA admin and OMB shifted American jobs from Lockheed to the ESA for that service module that is delaying the Orion and SLS programs. Trump will work to bring those jobs back to the USA, since the ESA only committed to building 2 SMs as part of it’s trade with NASA.
While that’s possible, that would either be a bit of a farce (if all the parts are made in the EU, but the “final assembly” is in the US) or it would require a redesign using US sourced parts.