Deep space Orion capsule being built

William Atkins
Monday, 12 September 2011 22:22

Science - Space

NASA announced construction on the first manned Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle is progressing. The new capsule will introduce Americans to a new generation of space capsules - with the ability to take astronauts out of Earth orbit and into deep space.

With the space shuttle program recently retired, NASA is now concentrating, within its manned space program, on its next venture into space.

The Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle (MPCV) is beginning to take shape at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana.

According to the NASA news brief Deep Space Capsule Comes Alive With First Weld; Major Progress Made on Nation's New Space Exploration Plan, 'Engineers at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans started welding together the first space-bound Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle.'

According to Mark Beyer, who is the Orion program manager at the Johnson Space Center (Houston), stated, "The Orion team has maintained a steady focus on progress, and we now are beginning to build hardware for spaceflight.'

The welds were completed on Friday, September 9, 2011, using 'an innovative new friction stir welding process' developed for the construction of Orion that produces a 'seamless, leak-proof bond' that is 'stronger and higher in quality' than the traditional welding process.

The Orion is shown in this picture, as welding was taking place on Friday.

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