CLIMB ON BOARD: I get a dozen or two emails from various NASA departments each day, and increasingly the content is about Orion, a spacecraft built to take humans farther from home than ever before.
One of NASA's emails to me this week was a reminder to Earthlings to get their name on board Orion's maiden test flight, scheduled for December 4.
The test flight is scheduled to be a 4.5 hour mission, two orbits, 3,600 miles above Earth. Then your name and Orion will return to Earth at speeds approaching 20,000 mph and temperatures of nearly 4,000 degrees Farenheit before a dramatic splash down in the Pacific Ocean.
But wait ... there's more. Your name will also be included on future NASA flights, including a mission to Mars. Talk about a chance to rack up major frequent flyer miles!
The deadline for being part of history is October 31. We're in, of course. Care to join us? Go here to get on board: http://go.usa.gov/vcpz
Today, NASA released a video featuring none other than Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura of Star Trek fame. Nichols is a long time NASA advocate for the space agency, and has been particularly active in encouraging women and minorities to get involved in space-related education and occupations.
Nichols says she's on board with Orion. You can see it for yourself here: http://youtu.be/gNAyBekeVyw
NASA has a whole campaign built around "I'm On Board," and it even includes a neat-o coloring sheet for kids ...
And if you want a sneak preview of what Orion's test flight will be like, check out "Trial by Fire," a video about the spacecraft’s test and the critical systems engineers will evaluate during the Dec. 4 flight. http://youtu.be/KyZqSWWKmHQ
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