NASA Dips Toe in Deep Space Exploration

After months of speculation NASA unveiled its new Space Launch System to take astronauts further than they have ever gone before. While there is no destination yet for this new super-powered rocket, there is plenty of time to quibble over such details.

The Marshall Flight Center in Rocket City, more familiarly known as Huntsville, Alabama will lead the massive undertaking.

The new system is a hybrid of the liquid fuel rockets that sent the six Apollo missions to the moon and the solid rocket boosters that flew the space shuttle program for the last 30 years.

But the new system will be much more powerful, allowing manned missions to asteroids and even Mars.

With the drawings barely complete, those close to the program are glad there is plenty of time to design, build and launch the first rocket. With no plans to test the rocket before 2017 NASA is exploring a tentative date of 2021 for the first manned mission.

The new Space Launch System replaces the Constellation program which was scrapped a few years ago and will include a capsule on the tip of the rocket where cargo and crew will be comfortably flown far beyond current exploration capabilities in near-Earth orbit.

Former space shuttle commander Charles Bolden and the current head of NASA released a video for NASA employees just prior to his public announcement of the new rocket system. Notice that he hints that this system is built to go to Mars.

Besides reconciling conflicting projected program costs to build the Space Launch System will be an engineering feat that the U.S. hasn’t undertaken in decades.

For some a new Moon shot or another major undertaking by NASA is what keeps kids interested in science.

Former NASA adviser Mark McDaniel says, “No other agency in government can inspire our youth to pursue careers in math and science and engineering than NASA can.”