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" May 3, 12:00 am\u2014When NASA requested designs for a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), two major teams\u2014one headed by Lockheed Martin and one by Northrop Grumman and Boeing\u2014took on the challenge. The winning concept will be chosen in 2008, and the manned vehicle flown in 2014. The agency&amp;#039;s primary requirement is to &amp;quot;ensure crew safety through all mission phases.&amp;quot; The Lockheed team\u2014consisting of six companies\u2014came up with a CEV in three parts. The titanium crew module holds four to six astronauts and launches separately from the mission module and the propulsion stage. They rendezvous in orbit to create a 70-ft.-long vehicle that weighs just under 40 metric tons.  border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt; INSIDE THE CREW MODULE 1 Nitrous-oxide mono-propulsion system 2 Float bags 3 Micro-Meteoroid and Orbital Debris protection shield %&amp;quot; class=&amp;quot;text&amp;quot;&amp;amp;gt; 4 Liquid oxygen long-term storage 5 Supersonic drogue chutes 6 Fuel cell  The team scrapped foam insulation in favor of a redundant Thermal Protection System that includes a backed-up carbon-carbon heat shield. In an emergency, a rescue module designed into the top 22 ft. of the crew module can be fired off at any time. The CEV is not designed to glide upon re-entry like the shuttle; rather, it will be equipped with parachutes and airbags to set down on land or water. Interchangeable computer systems will increase adaptability between modules. The most anticipated\u2014if least glamorous\u2014advancements will include a means to generate power for long-duration stays in space and a diagnostic safety system to troubleshoot problems. Says Pat McKenzie, business development manager for Lockheed&amp;#039;s CEV program, &amp;quot;Simply getting to space shouldn&amp;#039;t be the exciting part.&amp;quot;  Northrop Grumman&amp;#039;s 44-pound robot is expected to handle maintenance and repair chores outside the CEV.        "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a263/new-space-shuttle/>