After President Obama released next year's budget, leaving the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle noticeably off the 2011 ledger, NASA went ahead in testing the escape system that would have been a part of the would-be canceled program. The space agency reported testing would go forward as Congress and NASA administrators spar over whether the next generation in manned launch rockets would be defunded.
The system was designed and built by Orbital Sciences through a five-year subcontract worth around $250 million. While the system's price tag is mere peanuts compared to the entire Orion project ($15 billion in development and at least $7.2 billion in production costs) or NASA's total budget ($18.7 billion), the justification of testing for future platforms is shaky at best. Astronaut safety is rightfully at the top of NASA's agenda. Fiscal security, however, not only affects astronauts but taxpayer confidence. Citizens expect their tax dollars to produce results and this test leaves many questions as to why NASA felt an unused component warrants continued spending.
Citing resistance from both Congress and the scientific community, Obama designated Orion as a limited emergency-only ferry from the International Space Station - much like the Russian Soyuz vessel now in operation. Reducing reliance on Russian technology and allowing time for private-sector alternatives to mature, Orion would not use the escape system tested on Thursday.