Interesting article over at NASASpaceFlight.com, Constellation Program Proceeds with Orion Capsule EVA Testing.
However, the author seems a bit confused when he writes, “Throughout the month of September 2010 – the final month of funding for the Constellation Program under President Obama’s vision for the future of space operations in the United States – NASA has undertaken a series of EVA egress/ingress tests on a full-scale mockup of the Orion crew module in the large Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center.” Last known status of the language on Constellation:
“Human Spaceflight: In October 2009, the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee (The Augustine Commission) reported its findings on NASA’s human space flight program. The Augustine Commission raised several issues regarding the current program and budget profile that will require thoughtful consideration by the Administration. In the absence of a bona fide proposal from the Administration on the future of U.S. human spaceflight activities and investments, the bill provides the budget request of $3.1 billion for activities to support human spaceflight in fiscal year 2010; however, the bill requires that any program termination or elimination or the creation of any new program, project or activity not contemplated in the budget request must be approved in subsequent appropriations Acts.”
that was included in the FY 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Bill would seem to indicate that certainly under a continuing resolution, Constellation remains the “Program of Record”. As such, Orion is still the spacecraft that will carry astronauts to LEO.