Mars spacecraft’s first missions face delays, says Nasa

WASHINGTON: Nasa will probably delay the first two missions of its Orion deep- space capsule, being developed to send astronauts beyond earth’s orbit and eventually to Mars, the US space agency said on Thursday.

A report by Nasa’s Office of Inspector General cited technical as well as budget challenges.

The first launch of the Orion spacecraft atop the planned Space Launch System, or SLS — set to become the world’s most powerful rocket when it flies -- is currently scheduled for early November 2018 with no crew.

A second mission carrying astronauts is envisioned for August 2021 at the earliest. — AFP