Internet businessman Elon Musk started a young company called Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX. One of its Falcon rockets has a test launch planned for next month.
BARBARA KLEIN: Under the new plan, NASA will keep control of some important development goals. The agency is to design its own heavy lift rocket at a cost of three billion dollars.
The new launch vehicle would be used to carry the supplies and equipment needed to explore space beyond the moon. The president set a time limit of twenty fifteen for the design to be completed, after which building would begin.
NASA is to continue developing the Orion crew capsule, which was part of the cancelled Constellation program. The plan is for Orion to provide astronauts with a spacecraft that can link with the International Space Station.
This is important because President Obama hopes to extend the life of the space station beyond twenty twenty. The new capsule could also be used if astronauts need to leave the station in an emergency.
And NASA is also being called on to develop new technologies to solve problems involved in long-term space flight for humans and robots. Next year's research and development budget calls for spending nearly two billion dollars on new space technologies. That is an increase of eighteen percent over this year.
STEVE EMBER: Under President Obama's plan, the immediate goal for NASA is no longer to return to the moon. Instead, he called on the space agency to reach deeper into the solar system.
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25
2013-11-25