Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Aug 22, 2006 21:17:50 GMT -6
Astronaut reveals name of new moonship
The name of the new vehicle that NASA hopes will take astronauts back to the moon was supposed to be hush-hush until next week. But apparently U.S. astronaut Jeff Williams, floating 220 miles above Earth at the international space station, didn't get the memo.
Williams let it slip Tuesday that the new vehicle's name is Orion.
"We've been calling it the crew exploration vehicle for several years, but today it has a name - Orion," Williams said, taping a message in advance for the space agency that was transmitted accidentally over space-to-ground radio.
NASA planned to reveal the new name Aug. 31, when the space agency also announces which contractor will build the vehicle. Competing for the award are Lockheed Martin and a team made up of Northrop Grumman and Boeing.
The crew exploration vehicle will replace the space shuttlerockets
NASA spokesman Michael Braukus in Washington said the space agency has been looking at several names and that nothing was official until the formal announcement next week.
"My next phone call is to Houston asking, 'What's going on?'" Braukus said.
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Well, We already have the Patch posted here on the Chicago Astronomer, and this just confirms it.