Week In Space

Listen Now: thisweekinspace_040608.mp3

 In the news this week, the first European Automated Transfer Vehicle, Jules Verne, docked with the International Space Station last thursday. The cargo ship carried over 7500 pounds of supplies fro the Expedition 16 and 17 crews. Also, NASA’s Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is entering final testing and preparation for launch on a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral A.F.S. on May 16.

Commentary this week focuses on a report issued by the Government Accountability Office critical of NASA’s development efforts on the Ares I launch vehicle and Orion crew capsule. GAO identifies several cost, schedule and safety hurdles that NASA will have to overcome in the coming months if the agency hopes to maintain the schedule for bringing Orion online in 2015. Among the concerns are the thrust oscillation problem on the Ares I first stage causing vibrations too high for a manned crew, weight concerns on both the Ares and Orion, and the inability of industry so far to demonstrate the capability to build the thermal protection system that Orion will requires during re-entry. GAO says NASA can overcome all of these issues, but the agency will be hard-pressed to do so before the Ares I and Orion preliminary design reviews this fall.