NASA reported that they could delay the first two missions of Orion, created to send astronauts to Mars. The report referred to technical problems and budget shortfalls. Now the first launch of the Orion spacecraft on a rocket without a crew (the most powerful rocket in the world) is planned for the beginning of November 2018. The second with astronauts - in August 2021.
But the first reconnaissance missions are forced to face constant delays and postponements. Most likely, all these problems significantly pushed back the date of the final launch. The results of the nine-month audit showed that technical risks relate to changes in the design of the heat shield of the capsule. There is also a delay in developing software for Orion and terrestrial systems at the Kennedy Space Center (FL). The report is concerned that NASA will not have time to eliminate all the shortcomings before November 2018.
Space Launcher Testing is NASA’s most powerful rocket designed to transport the Orion capsule.
According to preliminary estimates, by the end of 2018, the total expenditure on the program will amount to 23 billion dollars, and manned Martian intelligence by 2033 will spend 33 billion dollars. Therefore, the White House asked NASA to recheck safety, technical equipment and justify all costs.
The report also disputes the need to send a mission in the 2030s and 2040s, so the exact date has not yet been set. To finish everything by 2030, NASA will have to try very hard. This concerns the development of key systems (habitat, inland transportation and planting facilities). All this remains a little more than 5 years.
