NASA IS FOLLOWING THROUGH
ON ITS COMMITMENT TO GET BACK
TO THE MOON, AND TODAY
LOCKHEED MARTIN WAS AWARDED
THE CONTRACT TO REPRODUCE THE
ORION SPACECRAFT.
KAREN MORFITT HAS BEEN
COVERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THAT VEHICLE NOW FOR YEARS,
AND KAREN YOU WERE THERE FOR
THE FIRST TEST FLIGHT.
REPORTER: AND KAREN, THAT
WAS BACK IN 2014 WHEN THEY
WERE TESTING TO MAKE SURE THE
FLIGHT SYSTEMS WORKED ON ORION
AS WELL AS MAKING SURE IT WAS
CAPABLE TO REENTER THE
ATMOSPHERE.
NOW NASA IS DOUBLING DOWN ON
THAT SPACECRAFT AND
CONTRACTING FOR 6 MORE.
AFTER YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT,
NASA IS MAKING THE ORION
SPACECRAFT ITS MAIN VEHICLE TO
THE MOON AND BEYOND.
IT'S GOING TO BE OUR
NATION'S SPACECRAFT FOR
DECADES.
REPORTER: LOCKHEED MARTIN
GOT A CONTRACT TO PRODUCE AT
LEAST 6 MORE.
IT'S A SPACECRAFT LIKE
NOTHING ELSE.
REPORTER: GARY NAPIER, A
SPOKESPERSON FOR LOCKHEED
MARTIN, SAYS THEY'RE
CELEBRATING THE NEWS IN
COLORADO.
THE PRIMARY ENGINEERING AND
DEVELOPMENT FOR THE ORION
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL TAKE
HUMAN BACK TO SPACE IS BASED
OUT OF COLORADO.
REPORTER: HE SAYS A LONG
TERM CONTRACT LIKE THIS SHOWS
NASA'S COMMITMENT TO SPACE
EXPLORATION THAT STARTS WITH A
TRIP BACK TO THE MOON.
THEIR MAJOR GOAL RIGHT NOW
IS TO HAVE THE FIRST WOMAN AND
NEXT MAN ACTUALLY WALK ON THE
SURFACE OF THE MOON BY 2024,
SO THAT'S IN A PRETTY NEAR
TIME FRAME.
WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE THAT
HAPPEN AND THIS SPACECRAFT
WILL HAVE THE SPACECRAFT THAT
TAKES THEM TO THE ORBIT OF THE
MOON WITH LANDING SYSTEMS AND
GET THEM DOWN TO THE SURFACE.
REPORTER: NOW THE NEXT
ORION TEST FLIGHT IS SET FOR
SOME TIME NEXT YEAR AND THE
THIRD, WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST
MANNED TEST FLIGHT WILL HAPPEN
IN 2022.
AND YOU HEARD HIM THERE, THEY
