How similar is the new nasa spacecraft ‘orion’ to the apollo rocket?
Will NASA have ready the Orion spacecraft ready for 2014? where can i find out a few details about the launch and re-entry sequences of the planned ‘orion’ spacecraft. also do you think the design of the new spacecraft is taking a step back, not that they should be based on appearance rather than ability, but to me they look primitive compared to the space shuttle the new orion spacecraft? I’m assuming that putting the spacecraft at the top of a tower of boosters will help. I know many refer to Orion as “Apollo on steroids”, and that the design is similar, although larger. I think I read that the bottom of the Orion capsule will have one big shield, similar to Apollo. But will “shuttle-style” tiles still be needed on the sides of the capsule? (I know that most of the heat of re-entry is on the bottom of the ship, but certainly some protection is needed elsewhere.) If tiles are needed, does the simpler design of a capsule allow for more standardized tiles, rather than the very precise s
