An estimated half million pieces of debris litter the Earth's orbit as a result of man's exploration of space.

VOA: standard.2010.07.24

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: NASA and the European Space Agency have signed an agreement calling for the Europeans to provide the service module for the Orion space capsule, the U.S. space agency's crew vehicle for exploration beyond Earth orbit.

MSN: Mars rover survives 'brain transplant' with flying colors

He added that it could also help achieve the holy grail of space exploration: missions that send astronauts out of orbit for more than a year.

NPR: Space Station To Get $18 Million Balloon-Like Room

Designed to be flexible for launching spacecraft for crew and cargo missions, SLS and Orion will expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration in the solar system.

ENGADGET: NASA awards Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada $30 million in contracts