Using the old Russian engines was a cost-saving measure on the part of Orbital Sciences. Obviously, may not have been the best move. They also have no manned spacecraft capability.
Say what you will about the Russian Progress craft…they work and they work well. And even the Russians don’t use the engines that Orbital Sciences purchased.
The Orion spacecraft is scheduled to have its first (unmanned) test flight in December. Moving in the right direction, although slowly.
Now, the most exciting part of this whole situation is SpaceX. They’ve already shown they can not only resupply the ISS with unmanned vehicles but also deliver payloads to geosynchronous orbit. That is a BIG deal for a private company. And unlike Orbital Sciences, they don’t use hardware that was basically pulled out of a scrap pile. Plus, manned Dragon capsule flights could be happening in less than two years. If a company like SpaceX can handle ferry missions to LEO, than NASA can focus on something long forgotten…exploration!
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