NASA is considering using a commercial rocket to launch its Orion crew capsule around the Moon next year, instead of the agency’s future multibillion-dollar Space Launch System (SLS). NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine floated the idea for the first time today during a Senate hearing. The change may occur, as it becomes increasingly likely that the SLS may not be ready to fly the crew capsule by June 2020.
Bridenstine argued that NASA needs to stick to its commitment of sending the Orion crew capsule around the Moon by next year. One way to do that would be using a rocket other than the SLS. “We need to consider, as an agency, all options to accomplish that objective,” Bridenstine said during the hearing. “Some of those options would…
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