Plymouth Rock: 90 Days in a Minivan

At first I was excited to read press reports of a Lockheed-Martin concept for a bare-bones human asteroid mission, using a pair of Orion capsules yoked together. Finally, a near-term plan! Because the Orion is mostly built, the first “Plymouth Rock” mission could fly as early as 2016, nine years earlier than NASA’s (extremely) loose [...]

On the Mayflower, at least you could go out on the deck. (Image: Lockheed Martin)
At first I was excited to read press reports of a Lockheed-Martin concept for a bare-bones human asteroid mission, using a pair of Orion capsules yoked together. Finally, a near-term plan! Because the Orion is mostly built, the first “Plymouth Rock” mission could fly as early as 2016, nine years earlier than NASA’s (extremely) loose target for an asteroid trip.
After skimming a 41-page Lockheed white paper on Plymouth Rock, I’m less excited.
I don’t doubt that motivated astronauts would forgo a certain amount of comfort to make history’s first trip into deep space. And the three-month trip to the asteroid wouldn’t be so bad. Two Orions provide about 10 cubic feet of volume for each of two astronauts—not nearly as roomy as the International Space Station, but bearable. ...