NASA Looks Beyond Shuttle With New Spaceship

By Aussiegirl

Well, here's a picture of what the successor to the ancient shuttle will look like.


NASA Looks Beyond Shuttle With New Spaceship

NASA Looks Beyond Shuttle With New Spaceship

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans to have the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) (pictured) ready for a manned flight by 2014.

By Jean-Louis Santini

NASA is already looking into the future with a new generation spacecraft to replace its aging shuttle fleet that could one day take astronauts on an ambitious mission to Mars after returning to the Moon.
The Discovery shuttle takes off Saturday in one of the 16 final missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for the 25-year-old fleet before its 2010 retirement amid ongoing concerns over its safety.

NASA will replace the shuttle, which was not designed for use beyond low Earth orbit, with the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) to take astronauts back to the Moon by 2018 and eventually to Mars.

NASA administrator Michael Griffin recently underscored the importance for the United States to have the ability to reach the Moon, saying its leadership in space exploration was at stake. [....]

The CEV will also have a retro look, similar to the Apollo capsule used in past Moon missions. But unlike the old spacecraft, the CEV will have the ability to parachute down on land.

The CEV will be able to take three to six astronauts plus cargo to the ISS.

NASA says the spacecraft could carry four astronauts to the Moon and six to Mars. [....]