Lunar sortie

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A lunar sortie (or lunar sortie mission) is a human spaceflight mission to the Moon. In contrast with lunar outpost missions, lunar sorties will be of relatively brief duration.[1]

[edit] Planned NASA sorties

On 2006-12-04, NASA announced a "Global Exploration Strategy" and lunar architecture that would implement the Vision for Space Exploration. The planned lunar missions would begin with four-person crews making several seven-day sortie missions to the moon until the power supplies, rovers and living quarters of an outpost are operational.[2]

The first lunar sortie planned by NASA as part of Project Constellation may be Orion 13, although this mission will be a fly-by rather than a landing, and may not include a crew. The second Constellation lunar sortie mission will be Orion 15, during which a crew will land on the lunar surface in what NASA calls the "Human Lunar Return" mission.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lunar Orbit Insertion Targeting and Associated Outbound Mission Design for Lunar Sortie Missions. NASA (2007).
  2. ^ NASA Unveils Global Exploration Strategy and Lunar Architecture. NASA (2006).
  3. ^ $700m gap threatens major delays to Ares test flights/development. nasaspaceflight.com (2008-01-18).


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