© Photo: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center
MOSCOW, March 30 – RIA Novosti. NASA announces the beginning of the first phase of construction of the future launch pad launch the SLS and Orion spacecraft, which in 20-30 years will bring the first marsonauts to orbit the red planet, reports the press service of the space Agency.
“We work hard and for the last time, we had a noticeable change in the look of the spaceport. Preparing for the journey to Mars, our colleagues at the space flight Center Kennedy doing everything possible to be ready for the first test launch of SLS and Orion in 2018,” said Mike Bolger, program Manager for the development of ground systems at NASA.
At the end of last year, NASA revealed new plans to land a man on Mars, in which the first personalty will be planted on the surface of the red planet in the mid 2030’s. Key elements of this program is super-heavy launch vehicle SLS, which should be completed in 2018, and the spacecraft Orion.
Both of these items are “Martian puzzle” parts are restored revoked under Barack Obama the Constellation programme of rockets from the family of Ares and space vehicle CEV, which had to deliver astronauts to the moon in 2018, and to Mars in the 2020s and 2030s.
The launch of the SLS with “Orion” on Board will require a fundamentally new pad, able to accommodate this super-heavy rocket, and systems preflight, compatible with the new space ship NASA. Plans to build similar platforms and upgrade existing systems at the space flight Center Kennedy developed the whole of last year, and only recently were they approved at all management levels in NASA.
Now, according to the press service of the Agency, engineers and specialists of the Center are beginning the first steps in the modernization of pad LC-39B at Cape Canaveral to send the SLS to space. As I hope NASA, fueling systems, transportation components and other launch systems will be ready for the first launch of the SLS and “Orion” in 2018.
The build of the prototype of the spacecraft has already begun at the Kennedy Center – the first details of the “Orion” were delivered to Florida back in February of this year. Part of the system, including service module of the ship will be designed by European partners, NASA.
