Astronaut lets new moonship name slip, "Orion" (Jeff Williams in orbit on Int'l Space Station)

AP ^ | Tues. Aug. 22nd, 2006 | Mike Schneider

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

It looks so old, especially the font. They're seem to be at least partially recycling concepts from the 1960s/1970s for more than only the vehicles themselves.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Naw. He was just muttering about how he'd like to see O'Reilly sent to the moon and someone misheard him.

[BenLurkin]

THE Orion?

[El Gato]

Too bad it's not the *real* Orion.

My first thought as well. Would have been great if they were really going to build old bang-bang.

[Spktyr]

"God was knocking, and he wanted in BAD."

[SunkenCiv]

I don't care what it's called, as long as "Mohammed Sucks!" is painted on the sides of it.

[Starter]

I still snicker whenever I see Bellingham pop up in the news.

[GeronL]

[BlackJack]

I'll waiting to see happy valley in the news ;-)

[hoagy62]

Think "slightly larger, reusable Apollo".

Good grief...they're going backwards! We NEED an SSTO (Single-Stage-To-Orbit) space plane!! The X-33 VentureStar was already in the works, and got canceled. Why???

WHY can't our scientists come up with a reusable space plane that will take off and land on ordinary runways, haul more than the Shuttle, and have a turnaround time measured in days, not weeks or months??

Where is the private entrepreneur who will step up and get it done, since our government obviously won't???

I believe it CAN be done! Why won't anyone even try???

[demlosers]

"They're like animals. Vicious. Seductive. They say no human male can resist them."

[Species8472]

Anybody remember the proposed The Orion Project??

That was the proposal for a launch system that detonated small nukes out the back of the launch vehicle and pushed the HUGE vehicle into orbit and beyond on a trail of thermonuclear fire.

[demlosers]

They drop the SSTO mostly because the light composite, liquid hydrogen, fuel tank failed pressure testing.

[GeronL]

Yes, but the ship could be so massive, and it could be several ships in one, we would only need one of those launches every decade or so =o)

I think a ship the size of an aircraft carrier is an excellent idea.

Maybe I like scifi too much

[the invisib1e hand]

"slip" or leak?

[Species8472]

It I remember the crew compartment was spring coupled to the top of a large concave shield. The plan was to drop the nukes through a hole in the shield and detonate them about 10 times a second. The payload was only limited by the size of the nukes.

Orbit a city with one launch!

[FReepaholic]

...Another related story from today - Huntsville is Rocket City again...

Can't understand why NASA hasn't renamed Marshall to "Von Braun Space Center".

[mewzilla]

They named it after a mew. Cool :)

[COBOL2Java]

"The galaxy...is hidden...in Orion's...b-b-b...what is word...?"

[mewzilla]

LOL. He was lucky Orion never ate him....