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NASA Names New Spaceship 'Orion'

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the nasa's-brightest-star dept.

An anonymous reader writes "NASA's new spaceship that will carry astronauts to the moon and later to Mars has been officially named Orion. NASA confirmed the name after it was accidentally leaked to the media. Previously called the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), Orion will be NASA's main human spaceflight vehicle after the space shuttle fleet is retired in 2010. Orion was named after one of the brightest constellations in the entire sky. Earlier this year, the rocket that will launch Orion was named Ares I, and the heavy-lift rocket was named Ares V. NASA hopes the new names will become as familiar as Apollo and Saturn V."

13 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Stargate? by nonother · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I suppose it's fitting. We got the shuttle Enterprise after Star Trek, now Orion after Stargate? However, I have a feeling it's going to be less reliable than Ancient technology.

    1. Re:Stargate? by d_strand · · Score: 5, Informative

      you kids these days :-)

      Besides a constelation, Orion is also a well known space project from the 70s which dealt with nuclear propulsion (wiki).

    2. Re:Stargate? by 91degrees · · Score: 3, Insightful

      However, I have a feeling it's going to be less reliable than Ancient technology.

      Well, lets be honest, ancient technology was built to last. Anything that broke easily isn't around anymore.

    3. Re:Stargate? by b1t+r0t · · Score: 3, Funny

      you not-quite-kids these days :-)

      Besides a constellation, and a well known space project from the 70s, Orion is also where those babe-a-licious green slave girls come from.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
  2. NASA Loves Stargate by colonslashslash · · Score: 3, Funny
    This is proof! A tribute to the recently cancelled SG-1 (although the Orion was part of the Atlantis spin off)


    http://gateworld.net/omnipedia/ships/links/orion.s html


    Oh look, some straws... I must clutch at them wildly.

    --
    She's built like a steak house, but she handles like a bistro....
    1. Re:NASA Loves Stargate by AKAImBatman · · Score: 3, Informative
      This is proof! A tribute to the recently cancelled SG-1 (although the Orion was part of the Atlantis spin off)

      Atlantis is assigned the Dadaelus. The Prometheus was Earth's primary defense. The Orion took her place after the Prometheus's destruction.
      --
      Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
  3. The wrong name by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Project Orion is already well known as the name of a hypothetical propulsion method that uses nuclear explosions to literally blast the vehicle forward. As this new project seems entirely unrelated it's a bit inappropriate to take this name. The original Project Orion has had that name for decades and it's had a few reputable names behind it so we're not just talking about stealing a name from some crackpot's pet project.

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    Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    1. Re:The wrong name by The_REAL_DZA · · Score: 4, Funny

      Perhaps, but to date only Slim Pickens has actually ridden a nuclear bomb anywhere (and he rode his straight down...) so there's not likely to be the kind of cutthroat controversy usually reserved for the Astronomers -vs- Geologists.

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      This space intentionally left (almost) blank.
  4. Apollo Legacy by McFortner · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Project Apollo mission patch (image at http://www.goroadachi.com/etemenanki/apollo-logo.j pg)has the constellation of Orion in "A" in the center of the patch, so Orion is a continuation of the Apollo legacy and a commitment to the return to the Moon. Michael

    --
    Beware of Sales Reps bearing gifts.
  5. Apollo timeframe by krell · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Didn't Apollo go from nothing to guy on the moon in about the same timeframe?"

    Yeah, but the fact that it was even that long had to do with Sam Peckinpah and Stanley Kubrick fighting over script details and actors. It took them a while to secure Dykstra for the effects, too.

    --
    Where were you when the voynix came?
  6. RUN run run run run. by the_REAL_sam · · Score: 4, Funny

    RUN run Run run Run.
    Pant Pant Pant Pant Pant.
    SWEAT SWEAT SWEAT SWEAT SWEAT.

    (Bursts through door)

    "It's called Orion!"
    "We Know."

    --
    "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." -Jesus Christ The Lord's Prayer
  7. Re:Timeframe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm currently reading Gene Kranz's book "Failure is not an Option." Yes, Mercury flights started in 1961 and we hit the moon with Apollo in 1969.

    The difference is that with the first time around, the government threw TONS of money at it and gave it their full support. I have a feeling that if the Chinese or the North Koreans came out tomorrow and said that they were putting a man on the moon in 5 years, we would see some changes. As it is, with NASA's current budget, I think a man in orbit in 8 years is doable...With what we learned from Mercury-Gemini-Apollo, once we prove to ourselves that the hardware is capable, it should be pretty easy to get back to the moon.

  8. The original Orion spaceship by hpa · · Score: 3, Informative

    Back in the 1950's and 1960's, there was a project to develop a nuclear spaceship named Orion. The basic principle was to operate it by detonating nuclear weapons some 60 m behind the spaceship... over and over and over again. Probably the closest you could ever be to multiple nuclear blasts and expect to live.

    The flipside, however, would have been payload and velocities that would otherwise be way beyond human technology -- we're talking manned mission to Pluto without the crew missing Christmas at home.

    As usual, Wikipedia has an excellent article on the whole thing...