Funding Hampers Constellation

NASA had been pushing to fly the first manned test flight of the new Orion spacecraft in 2013, just two years after the retirement of the shuttle. Now, however, due to tight funding, NASA is pushing back that flight well into 2014. Mission status for Orion, its Ares launcher, and the overall Constellation program will still be achieved by 2015, but the U.S. stands to have three years during which it has no way to put astronauts into space.

The situation, though, is fluid. Many in Congress are unhappy with the gap, and Congress may yet add money to NASA's budget which might allow the agency to bring Orion's first flight forward. Or, added money might support shuttle flights beyond 2011. The development of Constellation is also being challenged by a group of NASA engineers, as reported in this blog, who argue too much completely new technology is being developed for Constellation. They say shuttle-derived technology could accomplish Constellation's goal of returning humans to the Moon more efficiently.