Did Anybody Notice Orion?

Dec. 10, 2014

The Orion spaceship—our first designed for humans since our space shuttles were retired—was launched on December 5, carried out its test mission and returned successfully. Did anyone notice?

Ralph Hood

I’m a bit disappointed.

The Orion spaceship—our first designed for humans since our space shuttles were retired—was launched on December 5, carried out its test mission and returned successfully the next day. Did anyone notice?

It didn’t seem so. I was excited, but nobody else seemed to care. I haven’t seen it mentioned in the aviation forum I frequent. Our newspaper gave a small, rather dry, report on an inside page, and that’s about it.

I expected to read, see and hear all about the Orion flight in all of the national media. In actuality, it was ignored to an amazing extent.

Hey—we’re back in space with our own machinery after years of depending on the Russians to ferry us back and forth to the International Space Station (ISS), like a kid being run back and forth by his parents. Now, with Putin acting like a bad little boy, we’re no longer comfortable being dependent on them.

Frankly, our reaction time was pretty quick. ZAP! We’re back in space. That seems worthy of more notice to me.

About the Author

Ralph Hood | Certified Speaking Professional

Ralph Hood is a Certified Speaking Professional who has addressed aviation groups throughout North America. A pilot since 1969, he's insured and sold airplanes at retail and distributor levels and taught aviation management for Southern Illinois University.

Ralph Hood is also an award-winning columnist (he writes for several publications), a salesman and sales manager (he sold airplanes, for crying out loud!), a teacher (he taught college-level aviation management) and a professional public speaker who has entertained and enlightened audiences from Hawaii to Spain, and from Fairbanks to Puerto Rico.