Lockheed Martin Unhappy With Decision to Cancel Orion as Part of Constellation Program

Lockheed Martin, prime contractor for the Orion spacecraft that is part of Project Constellation, issued a press release today expressing its disappointment with the decision to kill the Constellation program. Earlier rumors had been that one or both of the Ares launch vehicles would be canceled, but not the Orion crew capsule. However, the FY2011 budget request announced on Monday would terminate the entire Constellation program. Lockheed Martin noted that “nearly 4,000 people at more than 500 commercial companies and hundreds of small business suppliers” work on Orion.