Show NASA plans for manned craft moon mission Peter Pae Los Angeles Times NASA unveiled a year 13 billion billion bil bil- billion bil- bil lion blueprint Monday for sending humans back to the moon as early as 2018 using modified space shuttle rockets rockets rockets rock rock- ets to loft an like Apollo-like capsule into space Space analysts said the design was decidedly retro hearkening back more than three decades to the Cold Wars War's moon race But they said the new design was safer and more realistic than the current space shuttle which is scheduled to be retired in 2010 after nearly 25 years of service and two disastrous shuttle losses Think Apollo on steroids National Aeronautics and Space Administration head Michael Griffin said during a news conference at the agency headquarters in Washington DC D.C. The new capsule known as the Crew Exploration Vehicle will be significantly larger than the cramped Apollo capsule with seating for as many as six astronauts instead of three The new vehicle slated for its maiden launch in 2012 initially would be used to and transfer crews from the f. f ij k vA pi ti f. f l. l Jl rI I IJ J I 0 i j o i z NASA's new crew exploration vehicle in lunar orbit International Space Station after the shuttle is retired NASA officials said Unlike the winged shuttle that was mounted on the side of the rocket the capsule would sit atop the rocket away from falling debris and potential engine fires that destroyed the shuttles Columbia in 2003 and Challenger in 1986 NASA officials estimated the new craft would be 10 times safer than the space shuttle The agency estimates that thata a space shuttle will be lost about every missions The new vehicle will wait oe be designed to go more than 2000 missions without a serious calamity In 2018 NASA would launch the first back the moon the moon mission with new lunar landers and other components that would allow for as many as four astronauts astronauts astronauts astro astro- to stay on the surface for as long as seven days We believe this venture safer and more affordable than any other space- space flight ventures that the US U.S. has had Griffin said |