NASA Prepares for Manned Space Missions
KAYE: And now the way, way forward, giving you a major heads up about something coming up not this week, but soon enough, of course, to start thinking about it. Later this year, NASA will make its mark and unveil its next generation of manned spaceflight. Now if all goes well, an unmanned test flight in December could open the way for a manned mission in 2017. CNN aviation analyst, Miles O'Brien joining us via Skype. Miles, the space shuttle fleet was retired in 2011 so how important is the Orion project, do you think?</s>MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, especially in light of the tensions that the U.S. has encountered with Russia and Russia being the only way that U.S. astronauts can get to the International Space Station, this is very important. It's also a point of national pride that the U.S. since the space shuttle was retired and put in moth balls and put in hangars, has not had its own independent way of sending human beings to space. There's been a thriving development in the commercial sector. We've SpaceX, the company run by Elon Musk, out of California, with some success delivering cargo to the International Space Station. Ultimately he would like to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station, but in the long run, NASA has pledged to go much farther, all the way to Mars. And what we're talking about now with Orion and the space system which is to come later is just that very fact.</s>KAYE: And so let's talk about this manned mission which is planned for 2017. I mean, this is even more advanced than the space shuttles, right? So what will it involve?</s>O'BRIEN: Well, for one thing, it sort of take us a lot farther than we've been really since 1972 in space. As a matter of fact, this unmanned mission at the end of the year will travel to an orbital altitude of more than 3,000 miles, just by comparison, the International Space Station orbits at about 250 miles, and that's where the shuttle spent most of its time. So this is delving into space in a much deeper way and this mission in 2017 that is contemplated would actually send astronauts in the vicinity, although it's still kind of sketchy, in the vicinity of an asteroid, which may, in fact, be captured and brought into closer proximity to earth for astronauts to do a long distance mission into deep space, practice space walking techniques and also in the course of all of this, learn a little something about redirecting asteroids, which is an important thing. Just ask a dinosaur.</s>KAYE: Exactly.</s>O'BRIEN: Well, I think this report, this 55-page report is about three months too late, but I guess better late than never. It is a great detailed treasure trove of information which explains the absolute scenarios and what searchers were thinking about when they define the zone where they're looking right now. All of it as you read it makes a lot of sense. There are some suppositions and people have wrongly characterized the report as drawing conclusions about what happened on the flight. What the investigators had done is taken the best possible scenario base on what they've seen from the satellite information and so forth. So I think they're searching the right place.</s>KAYE: All right. Well, that's good news, if you think so. So, Miles, nice to see you. Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.</s>O'BRIEN: Same to you, Randi.</s>KAYE: We leave you now with some more stories that you'll likely be hearing a lot more about in the week ahead. After a month in a drug rehab facility, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford returning to work tomorrow. Ford is not only resuming his mayoral duties, he's also planning to resume his re-election campaign. Toronto residents will hear from the mayor, who's scheduled a news conference on his return. Beginning Tuesday, a new gun law takes effect in Georgia. Critics call it the guns everywhere bill. It will allow firearms in some bars, churches, school zones and certain areas of airports and government buildings. Supporters of the law call it meaningful pro- gun legislation. And this Friday, it is happy birthday, America. The nation will celebrate turning 238 years old and there will be no shortage of festivities from coast to coast. Washington, D.C. is planning a huge bash with a concert featuring all kinds of musical acts, including Patti Labelle and Frankie Valley. And of course, yes, you guessed it, lots of fireworks. I'm Randi Kaye. Be sure to tune into CNN's Film "DOCUMENTED," that's tonight at 9:00 Eastern Time. But first, a CNN Special Report, "</s>DOWNWARD SPIRAL: INSIDE THE CASE OF AARON HERNANDEZ." That begins right now. Thanks for joining me. Enjoy your evening.