Orion
Lockheed Martin working to lower Orion costs
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.
House members question balance of NASA programs in 2019 budget proposal
Members of the House space subcommittee raised concerns about elements of NASA's fiscal year 2019 budget proposal during a March 7 hearing, from the cancellation of a space telescope to restructuring of the agency's technology programs.
Safety panel warns of “bottleneck” of reviews for exploration and commercial crew vehicles
Members of a NASA safety panel said they see good progress on the development of both exploration systems and commercial crew vehicles, but warn future progress could be hindered by a "bottleneck" of reviews they face.
Safety panel raises concerns about Falcon 9 pressure vessel for commercial crew missions
An independent safety panel recommended NASA not certify SpaceX’s commercial crew system until the agency better understands the behavior of pressure vessels linked to a Falcon 9 failure in 2016.
Op-ed | A new direction in space policy
Implementing the Trump administration's space policy requires increased reliance on the growing array of commercial space capabilities to enable human to return to the moon and go to Mars and beyond.
Smith disappointed with lack of progress on SLS and Orion
A day after NASA announced a new launch date for the first flight of the Space Launch System, the chairman of the House Science Committee said he found the development delays “disappointing” and warned further problems could undermine congressional support.
NASA sets December 2019 date for first SLS launch
NASA announced Nov. 8 that it is now planning a first launch of its Space Launch System rocket no earlier than December 2019, even as a review concluded the rocket isn’t likely to fly until mid-2020.
Bridenstine pledges support for SLS and Orion to senators
As the Senate Commerce Committee prepares to advance his nomination as NASA administrator to the full Senate, Jim Bridenstine offered pledges of continuity for many key agency programs.
NASA inspector general warns limited budget reserves could delay key programs
As NASA prepares to update the schedule for the first flight of its Space Launch System, a report by the agency’s inspector general warns a lack of budget reserves could lead to more delays in the future.
NASA to leverage current planning for 45-day exploration report
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.
Orbital ATK successfully tested a motor used for Orion spacecraft’s abort system
The brief test of the motor, at a company facility in Utah, demonstrated its ability to pull the Orion away from an SLS in an emergency.
NASA decides not to place a crew on first SLS/Orion mission
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.
