What is Project Constellation?
Project Constellation is the project to develop and test the Crew Exploration Vehicle and implement NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration. Constellation Systems is responsible for developing the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and related exploration architecture systems. Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle (SDLV) The Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle (SDLV) would be a modified Shuttle stack excluding the orbiter. It could be used as the cargo delivery system. The advantages of a Shuttle Derived Launch Vehicle is that the shuttle’s launch infrastructure is in place and contractors are in place. In 2005 the largest USA rockets could carry about 20t into orbit. A journey to the Moon would require 100t of payload to be placed in low Earth orbit. A moon mission would consist of up to 20t for the CEV and the rest would be made of the mission module, trans-lunar rocket engines and the lunar surface access module. Using the Boeing Delta IV or Atlas V to launch a Moon Mission would require at least requi
Project Constellation is a plan for the United States Government, via the space agency NASA, to land a man on the Moon, establish a permanent base there, and set the stage for a possible Mars mission. As currently envisioned, Project Constellation consists of the design, construction, testing, and use of heavy boosters (Ares I, Ares IV, Ares V), two new spacecraft (Orion Crew Vehicle and Altair Lunar Lander), and a lunar booster (Earth Departure Stage). Project Constellation may be considered a modernized version of the Apollo Project of the 1960s, with more of an eye towards a permanent moon base and a future Mars mission. Project Constellation is expected to cost $20 billion US Dollars over twenty years (2004 – 2024), with the cost of spacecraft orders not to exceed $3.5 billion USD. By comparison, the Apollo Project cost $28 billion USD (2006 dollars), while the Shuttle program cost $145 billion (2006 dollars). The main goal of Project Constellation is to put a man on the Moon by 20
Project Constellation is a plan for the United States Government, via the space agency NASA, to land a man on the Moon, establish a permanent base there, and set the stage for a possible Mars mission. As currently envisioned, Project Constellation consists of the design, construction, testing, and use of heavy boosters (Ares I, Ares IV, Ares V), two new spacecraft (Orion Crew Vehicle and Altair Lunar Lander), and a lunar booster (Earth Departure Stage). Project Constellation may be considered a modernized version of the Apollo Project of the 1960s, with more of an eye towards a permanent moon base and a future Mars mission. Project Constellation is expected to cost $20 billion US Dollars over twenty years (2004 — 2024), with the cost of spacecraft orders not to exceed $3.5 billion USD. By comparison, the Apollo Project cost $28 billion USD (2006 dollars), while the Shuttle program cost $145 billion (2006 dollars). The main goal of Project Constellation is to put a man on the Moon by
