# Presentation: 173878

## Constellation Program Overview

Mark Geyer
Constellation Program Office

October 2006

***Constellation Program Overview***
*Mark Geyer*
*Constellation Program Office*
*October 2006*

## A Bold Vision for Space Exploration, Authorized by Congress

**Complete the International Space Station**
**Safely fly the Space Shuttle until 2010**
**Develop and fly the Crew Exploration Vehicle no later than 2014**
**Return to the Moon no later than 2020**
**Extend human presence across the solar system and beyond**
**Implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program**
**Develop supporting innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures**
**Promote international and commercial participation in exploration**

- The Administrator shall establish a program to develop a sustained human presence on the Moon, including a robust precursor program to promote exploration, science, commerce and U.S. preeminence in space, and as a stepping stone to future exploration of Mars and other destinations.

**NASA Authorization Act of 2005**

## Exploration Strategy Themes

**Use the Moon to prepare for future human and robotic missions to Mars and other destinations**
**Pursue scientific activities to address fundamental questions about the solar system, the universe, and our place in them**
**Extend sustained human presence to the moon to enable eventual settlement**
**Expand Earth’s economic sphere to encompass the Moon and pursue lunar activities with direct benefits to life on Earth**
**Strengthen existing and create new global partnerships**
**Engage, inspire, and educate the public**

**Notes:**
Themes – 
Provide the high level rationale for exploring the Moon
Provide a framework for capturing the many objectives across multiple disciplines
Divided into two types – core and crosscutting
Core themes address the primary reasons for  conducting activities on the Moon
Crosscutting themes address ways to maximize the benefit of the core themes 
USE THE MOON: Reduce risks and cost and increase productivity of future missions by testing technologies, systems, and operations in a planetary environment other than the Earth
PURSUE SCIENTIFIC:  Engage in scientific investigations Of the Moon (solar system processes), On the Moon (use the unique environment), and From the Moon (to study other celestial phenomena)
EXTEND PERMANENT HUMAN PRESENCE:  Develop the capabilities and infrastructure required to expand the number of people, the duration, the self-sufficiency, and the degree of non-governmental activity
EXPAND EARTH’S ECONOMIC SPHERE:  Create new markets based on lunar and cis-lunar activity that will return economic, technological, and quality-of-life benefits
ENHANCE GLOBAL SECURTIY:  Provide a challenging, shared, and peaceful global vision that unites nations in pursuit of common objectives
ENGAGE, INSPIRE:  Excite the public about space, encourage students to pursue careers in high technology fields, ensure that individuals enter the workforce with the scientific and technical knowledge necessary to sustain exploration

## What’s the value of exploration? 

**Humans explore because it conveys an evolutionary advantage**
**exploration broadens experience and imagination, permitting better prediction of the future, ensuring better odds for survival**
**curiosity and its satisfaction is intellectually and emotionally satisfying**
**Exploration improves our ability to solve problems**
**increased imagination and knowledge base permits recognition of innovative approaches and solutions**
**helps focus energies on posing the right questions, or, questions that can be addressed and answered**
**Exploration excites and inspires the creative, productive segments of society**
**permits intellectual connections and relations that might not otherwise occur (the ‘ah-ha!’ syndrome)**
**Frontiers are unknown, mysterious places that stimulate imagination**

**Paul D. Spudis  Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, *****Space Soon Conference, 2006***

## NASA’s Exploration Roadmap

***NASA’s Exploration Roadmap***

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**Lunar Lander Development             **

**Lunar Heavy Launch Development**

**Earth Departure Stage Development**

**Surface Systems Development**

**CEV Development**

**Crew Launch Development**

**Commercial Crew/Cargo for ISS**

**           ****Space Shuttle Ops**

***Lunar Outpost Buildup***

**Initial CEV Capability**

**CEV Production and Operations          **

**Lunar Robotic Missions**

**Science Robotic Missions**

***Mars Expedition Design***

**1st Human CEV Flight**

**7th Human Lunar Landing**

**Early Design Activity**

**Early Design Activity**

**CSSS EVA**

**Sortie Development**

**CEV/ISS Development**

**CSS Operations **

**Notes:**
Need to add a bar for “Constellation Space Suit System” just below the Crew Launch Production and Operations line.  Bar should have three sections/colors CEV to ISS Development starting now and ending in 2012, Lunar Sortie Development in the next block starting in 08 and ending in 18 and CSS Operations 2012 thru 2018.
Add a note that says CEV contract award NLT 9/8/06 probably just below the Crew Launch Development bar.

## Components of Program Constellation

**Heavy Lift**
**Launch ****Vehicle**

**Crew Launch ****Vehicle**

**Earth Departure**
**Stage**

**Orion - Crew **
**Exploration Vehicle**

**Lunar****Lander**

***Components of Program Constellation***

## Orion is Capable of Supporting Space Station Missions

***Orion is Capable of Supporting ******Space Station Missions***

**Transport up to 6 crew members on Orion for crew rotation**
**210 day stay time**
**Emergency lifeboat for entire ISS crew**
**Deliver pressurized cargo for ISS resupply**

## Orion System Elements

_*Spacecraft Adapter*_ –
- structural transition to launch vehicle

**Orion consists of four **
**functional modules**

_*Launch Abort System*_ --
- emergency escape during launch

_*Crew Module*_ –
- crew and cargo transport

_*Service Module*_ –
- propulsion, electrical power, fluids storage

## Ares I - Crew Launch Vehicle

***Ares I - Crew Launch Vehicle***

**Serves as the long term crew launch capability for the U.S.**
**5 Segment Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster**
**New liquid oxygen / liquid hydrogen upperstage **
- J2X engine
**Large payload capability**

## Ares V – Heavy Cargo Launch Vehicle

**5 Segment Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters**
**Liquid Oxygen / liquid hydrogen core stage **
- Heritage from the Shuttle External Tank
- RS68 Main Engines
**Payload Capability**
- 106 metric tons to low Earth orbit
- 125 Metric tons to low Earth orbit using Earth departure stage
- 55 metric tons trans-lunar injection capability using Earth departure stage
**Can be certified for crew if needed **

## Building on a Foundation of Proven Technologies- Launch Vehicle Comparisons  -

***Building on a Foundation of Proven Technologies******-****** ******Launch Vehicle Comparisons******  ******-***

**Crew**

**Lander**

**S-IVB**
**(1 J-2 engine)**
- 240k lb Lox/LH2

**S-II**
**(5 J-2 engines)**
- 1M lb LOx/LH2

**S-IC**
**(5 F-1)**
- 3.9M lb LOx/RP

**Lunar**
**Lander**

**Earth Departure**
**Stage (EDS) (1 J-2X)**
- 499k lb LOx/LH2

**Core Stage**
**(5 RS-68 Engines)**
- 3.1M lb LOx/LH2

**Upper Stage**
**(1 J-2X)**
- 280k lb LOx/LH**2**

**5-Segment Reusable Solid Rocket Booster (RSRB)**

**Space Shuttle**

**Ares I**

**Ares V**

**Saturn V**

**Height:**  184.2 ft
**Gross Liftoff Mass:**  4.5M lb
- 55k lbm to LEO

**Height:**  321 ft
**Gross Liftoff Mass:**  2.0M lb
- 48k lbm to LEO

**Height:**  358 ft
**Gross Liftoff Mass:**  7.3M lb
- 117k lbm to TLI
- 144k lbm to TLI in Dual-
- Launch Mode with Ares I
- 290k lbm to LEO

**Height:**  364 ft
**Gross Liftoff Mass:**  6.5M lb
- 99k lbm to TLI
- 262k lbm to LEO

**5-Segment**
**2 RSRB’s**

## Integrated Flight Test Strategy Baseline Plan

- Transonic
- Abort
- WSMR

***Integrated Flight Test Strategy ******Baseline Plan***

**1/12**

**1/10**

- 7/09

**1/11**

- 7/10

- 4/12

**PA-2**
- WSMR

**AA-2**
- Max q
- Abort
- WSMR

**AA-3**
- Tumble
- Abort
- WSMR

- 4/09

- 10/09

- 4/10

- 10/10

- 4/11

- 7/11

- 10/11

- 7/12

- 10/12

**1/13**

- AresI-1/1R Pad Access Window

- 4/14

- 7/14

- 10/14

- 4/13

- 7/13

- 10/13

**1/14**

**9/08**

**PMR Rev #1**

- Ares 2

- OFT-1

- OFT-2

- FHL

**AA-4**
- High
- Altitude
- WSMR

- Ares 1

**PA-1**
- WSMR

## EVA Suit Strategy

***EVA Suit Strategy***

- 2014/12

- 2018/15

- 2023

- 2030+

**CEV to ISS**

**Lunar Sortie**

**Lunar Outpost**

**Mars**

**LEA capability for all crewed CEV missions**

**Zero-G capability for all crewed CEV missions**

**Surface EVA capability for planetary exploration**

## Lunar Lander

***Lunar Lander***

**Transports 4 crew to and from the surface **
- Seven days on the surface
- Lunar outpost crew rotation
**Global access capability**
**Anytime return to Earth**
**Capability to land 20 metric tons of dedicated cargo **
**Airlock for surface activities**
**Descent stage:**
- Liquid oxygen / liquid hydrogen propulsion
**Ascent stage:**
- Storable Propellants

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Constellation Work Locations

***Constellation Work Locations***

## Thank you! 

**Thank you!***** ***

## Typical Lunar Reference Mission

*Ascent Stage Expended*

*EDS, LSAM*

*CEV*

*LSAM Performs LOI*

**100 km **
**Low Lunar Orbit**

*Vehicles are not to scale.*

**Low Earth Orbit**

*Service Module Expended*

**MOON**

**EARTH**

*Direct Entry*
*Land Landing*

*Earth Departure Stage Expended*

## Ares Launch Vehicle Elements

**Ares I**

**Ares V**

- 117k lbm to TLI
- 144k lbm to TLI in Dual-LaunchMode with Ares I
- 290k lbm to LEO

**Composite Shroud**

_**Earth Departure Stage**_
**LOx/LH****2**
**1 J-2X Engine**
**Al-Li Tanks/Structures**

_**Core Stage**_
** ****LOx/LH****2**
** ****5 RS-68 Engines**
** ****Al-Li Tanks/Structures**

**5-Segment **
**2 RSRBs**

**Lunar Surface Access****Module (LSAM)**

**Interstage**

**LAS**

**Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV)**
**(Crew Module / Service Module)**

**Spacecraft Adapter**

**Instrument Unit**

**Forward Skirt**

**Upper Stage**

**J-2X Upper Stage Engine**

**Interstage**

**Forward Frustum**

**First Stage**
**(5-Segment RSRB)**

- 48k lbm to LEO