Preparing for the next-generation of spaceflight

As the shuttle programme draws to a close, NASA has contracted Lockheed Martin to develop a next-generation vehicle for deep space exploration. Here, the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), unveiled in May, is undergoing tests at the Lockheed Martin Vertical Test Facility in Colorado to ensure it can withstand the harsh conditions of deep space expeditions.

Whereas the shuttle programme focused on low-Earth orbit, the new spacecraft is designed to explore further afield possibly to an asteroid or Mars.

Lockheed Martin was commissioned after the Obama administration scrapped the moon-bound Constellation programme, and MPCV resurrects designs from the Orion capsule, affiliated with Constellation.
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http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2011/06/preparing-for-the-next-generat.html