2006-01-12 | TECHNOLOGIES
NASA Refines Design for Crew Exploration Vehicle
NASA's Constellation Program is making progress toward selecting a prime contractor to design, develop and build the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), America's first new human spacecraft in 30 years. The agency has issued Phase II of a Request for Proposals, which adds detailed design, development and production requirements. After evaluating Phase II proposals, NASA will select a single CEV contractor later this year.
The CEV will transport up to six crew members to and from the International Space Station and up to four to and from the moon. It will also support future Mars missions. NASA's new initiative to send humans back to the Moon will provide a number of opportunities for performing research important to astrobiology. Simply by travelling in space, astronauts can tell us a great deal about the potential future for life beyond our planet. Researchers on the surface of the Moon can help answer questions about the history and evolution of the Moon itself, which can in turn help us understand the history and evolution of our own planet.
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from NASA, Jan 12, 2006
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