Orion EM-1

Lockheed Martin working to lower Orion costs

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As Lockheed Martin prepares to complete assembly of the Orion spacecraft flying on the first SLS mission, the company says it’s making progress in lowering the costs of the future spacecraft, including through reuse.

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SLS EM-1 target markings

Decision on EM-1 launch date still pending

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NASA is still up to a month away from setting a new target launch date for the first flight of the Space Launch System, but agency officials said they still expected it to take place in 2019.

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EM-1 engines

NASA to leverage current planning for 45-day exploration report

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A shift in focus in NASA’s exploration plans to the moon won’t have an immediate effect on planning for the first flight of the agency’s Space Launch System rocket, now expected no sooner than late 2019.

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SLS EM-1 target markings

NASA to update EM-1 schedule in October

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NASA plans to publish a revised launch date for the first mission of its Space Launch System in October amid reports that the flight has been pushed back to nearly the end of 2019.

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When NASA announced the completion of the Space Launch System's critical design review Oct. 22, it also released an updated illustration of the rocket, with the core stage now orange instead of white. NASA said in a press release that orange is "the natural color of the insulation that will cover those elements," as was the case with the shuttle's external tank. Not explained in the release, those, are the curved gray and orange stripes on the solid rocket boosters. Some think they are intended to evoke memories of the shuttle itself or the logo of original shuttle contractor Rockwell International — or, perhaps, computer game company Atari. Credit: NASA

NASA decides not to place a crew on first SLS/Orion mission

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NASA has decided it will not add astronauts to the first flight of the Space Launch System, a launch now delayed until some time in 2019.

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lockheed martin cislunar outpost

NASA moving ahead with plans for cislunar human outpost

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Despite uncertainty about potential policy changes, NASA is pressing ahead with plans for a cislunar “gateway” outpost for future human missions, with decisions about how to develop it expected in the coming months.

Missions Policy & Politics EM-1MoonNASAOrionSLS
NASA artist's concept of SLS.

Trump’s departing NASA liaison urges careful vetting of crewed test flight idea

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NASA should consider flying crew on the debut test flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule to better support the overall goals of U.S. space exploration, the former Trump administration liaison to NASA said on Sunday.

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