LiveChat Roundup - April 27, 2012

By Jim Gerard, NASA INSPIRE Education Specialist

Last week we heard about the commercial spacecraft being readied to take Americans into low earth orbit and the International Space Station. (Note: SpaceX will make an attempt to launch it's Dragon spacecraft on May 7.) Last night, we heard from the NASA side of the house, where an new spacecraft is getting ready to explore beyond earth orbit.

The Orion spacecraft, now dubbed the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is a robust capsule built along the lines of the Apollo spacecraft that will carry astronauts to the Moon, Mars, the asteroids and beyond. The spacecraft is currently undergoing testing as NASA develops new construction methods, like stir welding, to piece it together.

Barbara Zelon, Program Manager for Orion Outreach from Johnson Space Center, Texas, took 32 INSPIRE students through a virtual tour of the Orion spacecraft. She told of the design elements that will make it perfect for deep space exploration and the way we are testing it. First flight with a crew will take place sometime between 2018 and 2021.

Your chance to watch this chat come in the LiveChat archive. Stay on to the very end to find the passcode for the quiz, where you can earn 25 points! And sign up now on the Discussion Board for next week's chat where we will learn What's Next in human spaceflight!