NASA chose Lockheed Martin to build a new spacecraft

(Photo: decaturdaily.com)

On August 31, NASA agency selected Lockheed Martin Group to build the new generation spacecraft Orion will replace the old space shuttle to bring American astronauts to the Moon from now to 2020 and carry out the first manned mission to Mars.

Lockheed Martin, competing with Boeing's Northrop Grumman, designed and built the space shuttle, but eventually chose Lockheed Martin as the project owner to develop and build the Orion vessel.

The contract is estimated at $ 3.9 billion for the design, development and evaluation of spacecraft from now until 2013, then by 2019 will add more than $ 4 billion for production and maintenance, ie total plus about 8 billion USD.

The first Orion named CEV will take off after 2014 and can carry 4 to 6 astronauts. It will replace the shuttled shuttle in 2010.

Orion will have a diameter of about 5m and weigh 25 tons.