the hunter and the warrior

NASA has chosen the name for the next generation manned space vehicle and it is Project Orion. In the spirit of Apollo, the first spacecraft to take men to the moon, NASA chose the name that will apply to the vehicle itself (previously named the CEV, the Crew Exploration Vehicle) and to the overall program. So, get ready to hear about the Orion capsule and Project Orion in the coming years.

A name has also been chosen for the launch vehicle that will loft Project Orion vehicles and astronauts into earth orbit and beyond. The CLV (Crew Launch Vehicle) is now Ares I and the heavier lift launcher that will place equipment into earth orbit is Ares V. These names are also in the spirit of Apollo, which launched missions with the Saturn V.

The latest word on initial awarding of contracts for these vehicles is mid-September 2006.