Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) was a NASA Program Office established in 2002, to pursue technologies for future space launch systems.
119-521: In 2004, NASA moved on to the Constellation Program , part of the Vision for Space Exploration . "To pursue technologies for future space launch systems. NGLT will fund research in key technology areas such as propulsion, launch vehicles, operations and system analyses. NGLT is part of NASA's Integrated Space Technology Plan. The NGLT Program is sponsored by NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology and
238-521: A J-2X rocket engine. NASA selected the Ares designs for their anticipated overall safety, reliability and cost-efficiency. NASA began developing the Ares I low Earth orbit launch vehicle (analogous to Apollo's Saturn IB ), returning to a development philosophy used for the original Saturn I , test-launching one stage at a time, which George Mueller had firmly opposed and abandoned in favor of "all-up" testing for
357-542: A low Earth orbit by the Ares I rocket (the "Stick"), developed by Alliant Techsystems , Rocketdyne , and Boeing . Formerly referred to as the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), the Ares I consisted of a single Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) derived in part from the primary boosters used in the Space Shuttle system, connected at its upper end by an interstage support assembly to a new liquid-fueled second stage powered by
476-469: A nuclear thermal rocket stage for each payload, in order to boost them to Mars. Alternatively, chemical (specifically liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen) propellant stages could have been used, although this would have required more launches. One cargo payload would include a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), as well as In-situ resource utilization equipment to generate propellant for the MAV. The second cargo payload would be
595-649: A "sustainable course of long-term exploration." NASA estimated that the original policy would cost $ 230 billion (in 2004 dollars) through 2025, including the Commercial Crew and Cargo program, which is separate from the Constellation program. However, unsolved technical and design challenges made it impossible for NASA to provide a conclusive estimate. Upon taking office, President Obama declared Constellation to be "over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation." A review concluded that it would cost on
714-461: A Pacific Ocean splashdown. The Crew Module would then be flown back to Kennedy Space Center for refurbishment, while lunar samples would be routed to the Johnson Space Center 's (JSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory for analysis. The Orion Asteroid Mission was a proposed NASA mission to a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) which would use the standard Orion spacecraft , and a landing module based on
833-519: A Space Conference on April 15, 2010, in Florida. This came at a time when the president's administration was being criticized considerably for leaving the Constellation Program out of the 2011 budget. At the conference, President Obama and top officials, as well as leaders in the field of spaceflight, discussed the future of U.S. efforts in human spaceflight and unveiled a plan for NASA that followed
952-507: A common core stage design but differ in their upper stages and boosters. Together with the solid rocket boosters, the core stage is responsible for propelling the upper stage and payload out of the atmosphere to near orbital velocity. It contains the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks for the ascent phase, the forward and aft solid rocket booster attach points, avionics, and the Main Propulsion System (MPS), an assembly of
1071-667: A complete review, termed the Exploration Systems Architecture Study , which reshaped how NASA would pursue the goals laid out in the Vision for Space Exploration, and its findings were formalized by the NASA Authorization Act of 2005 . The Act directed NASA to "develop a sustained human presence on the Moon, including a robust precursor program to promote exploration, science, commerce and US preeminence in space, and as
1190-517: A crew module (CM) similar to the Apollo command module , but capable of sustaining four to six crew members; a cylindrical service module (SM) containing the primary propulsion systems and consumable supplies; and the Launch Abort System (LAS), which provides capability for the astronauts and Crew Module to escape from the launch vehicle should problems arise during launch ascent. The Orion Crew Module
1309-406: A flight, the rocket would have continued to fly normally. There was no sign of damage to the core stage or the engines, contrary to initial concerns. The second fire test was completed on 18 March 2021, with all four engines igniting, throttling down as expected to simulate in-flight conditions, and gimballing profiles. The core stage was shipped to Kennedy Space Center to be mated with the rest of
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#17328515992571428-496: A habitat that the astronauts would live in during the stay on the surface. In the next launch window, 26 months after the first, the crew would go to Mars in an interplanetary transfer vehicle with nuclear thermal rocket and propellant modules assembled in Earth orbit. Once at Mars, the crew would rendezvous with the Mars habitat in orbit, land on Mars, and explore for 500 days. The crew would use
1547-563: A heavier lift capacity than the Ares I booster provided. In addition to these two boosters, NASA designed other spacecraft for use during Constellation, including the Orion crew capsule, the Earth Departure Stage secondary booster, and the Altair lunar lander. The Orion spacecraft was designed for the Constellation program as a crew compartment for use in low Earth orbit . Lockheed Martin
1666-451: A journalist, a NASA spokesperson did not deny this per-flight cost estimate. The NASA Office of Inspector General has conducted several audits of the SLS program. A November 2021 report estimated that, at least for the first four launches of Artemis program, the per-launch production and operating costs would be $ 2.2 billion for SLS, plus $ 568 million for Exploration Ground Systems . Additionally,
1785-684: A later flight. Unlike the Apollo CM, which was used only for one flight, an Orion CM could theoretically be used up to ten times under normal operating conditions. Unlike the Apollo missions, where both the Apollo command and service module and the Apollo Lunar Module were launched together on the Saturn V rocket, the crewed Orion spacecraft would be launched separately from the uncrewed EDS and lunar lander. The Ares V/Altair stack would be assembled at
1904-428: A modified Altair lunar lander. Most of its specific details are now deprecated by the cancellation of the Constellation Program and related designs. Such a mission could assess the potential value of water, iron, nickel, platinum and other resources on the asteroid; test possible ways to extract them; and possibly examine or develop techniques which could be used to protect the Earth from asteroid impacts . This would be
2023-499: A modified solid rocket booster with lighter casing, more energetic propellant, and four segments instead of five, and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and Dynetics proposed a liquid-fueled booster named Pyrios . However, this competition was planned for a development plan in which Block 1A would be followed by Block 2A, with upgraded boosters. NASA canceled Block 1A and the planned competition in April 2014, in favor of simply remaining with
2142-657: A new funding bill for 2011. NASA continues the development of the Orion spacecraft for deep space travel. In an effort to reduce costs, it has contracted for private development of vehicles for use in low Earth orbit. Since May 2020, the Commercial Crew Development program has used the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring people to and from the International Space Station, while Boeing's Starliner spacecraft started operating in 2024 for
2261-459: A parachute recovery system, as they will not be recovered after launch. The propellants for the solid rocket boosters are aluminum powder, which is very reactive, and ammonium perchlorate, a powerful oxidizer. They are held together by a binder, polybutadiene acrylonitrile (PBAN). The mixture has the consistency of a rubber eraser and is packed into each segment. The five-segment solid rocket boosters provide approximately 25% more total impulse than
2380-547: A process known as Earth orbit rendezvous . NASA planned to use the first vehicles developed in the Constellation Program for Earth-orbit tasks formerly undertaken by the Space Shuttle . But unlike the X-33 and other programs intended to replace the Shuttle, Constellation reused concepts from the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs . The shape of the Orion command module closely resembles
2499-409: A projected development cost of US$ 18 billion through 2017, with $ 10 billion for the SLS rocket, $ 6 billion for the Orion spacecraft , and $ 2 billion for upgrades to the launch pad and other facilities at Kennedy Space Center . These costs and schedules were considered optimistic in an independent 2011 cost assessment report by Booz Allen Hamilton for NASA. An internal 2011 NASA document estimated
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#17328515992572618-618: A proposal for continued crewed space exploration after the completion of the International Space Station and the planned retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2010. This proposal was to be a way to "establish an extended human presence on the Moon" to "vastly reduce the costs of further space exploration." Included in this would be the "harvesting and processing of lunar soil into rocket fuel or breathable air." According to Bush, experience gained could help "develop and test new approaches and technologies and systems" to begin
2737-542: A robust research and development program that would include work on propellant depots . After reviewing the report, and following congressional testimony, the Obama administration decided to exclude Constellation from the 2011 United States federal budget . On February 1, 2010, the President's proposed budget was released, which included no funding for the project, and it became law on April 15, 2011. President Obama hosted
2856-465: A speed of 17,500 mph (28,200 km/h) to 300 mph (480 km/h). After reentry was completed, the forward assembly would be jettisoned, and two drogue parachutes released, followed at 20,000 feet (6,100 m) by three main parachutes and airbags filled with nitrogen (N 2 ), which does not combust when exposed to heat, allowing the spacecraft to splashdown. The Command Module would then be returned to Kennedy Space Center for refurbishment for
2975-570: A stepping stone to future exploration of Mars and other destinations." Work began on this revised Constellation Program, to send astronauts first to the International Space Station , then to the Moon , and then to Mars and beyond. Subsequent to the findings of the Augustine Committee in 2009 that the Constellation Program could not be executed without substantial increases in funding, on February 1, 2010, President Barack Obama proposed to cancel
3094-608: A test flight in fall 2022, and NASA and Boeing are constructing the next three rockets for Artemis II , Artemis III , and Artemis IV . Boeing stated in July 2021 that while the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their suppliers and schedules, such as delaying parts needed for hydraulics, they would still be able to provide the Artemis II SLS core stage per NASA's schedule, with months to spare. The spray-on foam insulation process for Artemis II
3213-419: A total of $ 70 million, and the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle, funded from 2006 to 2010 for a total of $ 4.8 billion in development, including the 5-segment Solid Rocket Boosters used on the SLS. The SLS was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 , Public Law 111–267, in which NASA was directed to create a system for launching payloads and crew into space that would replace
3332-625: A variant with five main engines, a Block 1A variant with upgraded boosters instead of the improved second stage, and a Block 2 with five main engines plus the Earth Departure Stage , with up to three J-2X engines. In the initial announcement of the design of the SLS, NASA also announced an "Advanced Booster Competition", to select which boosters would be used on Block 2 of the SLS. Several companies proposed boosters for this competition, all of which were indicated as viable: Aerojet and Teledyne Brown proposed three booster engines each with dual combustion chambers, Alliant Techsystems proposed
3451-473: A variation based on the Orion), and the Ares V cargo-launch vehicle. A design study utilizing Constellation launch vehicles, known as Design Reference Architecture 5.0, was completed in 2009. In DRA 5.0, a Mars mission would have involved multiple launches of an Ares V rocket, as well as an Ares I to launch the crew. In the first Mars launch window , two cargo payloads would be launched into Earth orbit, as well as
3570-412: A way to preserve jobs and contracts for aerospace companies involved in the Shuttle program at great expense to NASA. The project has faced significant challenges, including mismanagement, substantial budget overruns, and significant delays. The first Congressionally mandated launch in late 2016 was delayed by nearly six years. All Space Launch System flights are to be launched from Launch Complex 39B at
3689-507: Is a temporary upper stage for Block 1 versions of SLS, built by United Launch Alliance , a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin . The ICPS is essentially an "off-the-shelf" Delta Cryogenic Second Stage , with minimal modifications for SLS integration. The ICPS is intended as a temporary solution and slated to be replaced on the Block 1B version of the SLS by the next-generation Exploration Upper Stage, under design by Boeing. The ICPS used on
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3808-502: Is designed to be reusable, allowing NASA to construct a fleet of Orion crew modules. Despite the cancellation of the Constellation program, development of the Orion spacecraft continues, with a test launch performed on December 5, 2014. Orion flew aboard Artemis I in 2022 and is planned to fly aboard Artemis II in 2025 and on several subsequent missions. Altair (formerly known as the Lunar Surface Access Module, LSAM)
3927-629: Is developing a new composite-based fuel tank for the EUS that would increase Block 1B's overall payload mass capacity to TLI by 40 percent. The improved upper stage was originally named the Dual Use Upper Stage (DUUS, pronounced "duce"), but was later renamed the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). During the joint Senate-NASA presentation in September 2011, it was stated that the SLS program had
4046-540: Is its builder. The first one cost $ 60 million, and the next two cost $ 85 million together. The Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) is planned to first fly on Artemis IV . The EUS will complete the SLS ascent phase and then re-ignite to send its payload to destinations beyond LEO. It is expected to be used by Block 1B and Block 2. The EUS shares the core stage diameter of 8.4 meters, and will be powered by four RL10 C-3 engines. It will eventually be upgraded to use four improved RL10 C-X engines. As of March 2022 , Boeing
4165-477: Is made mostly of 2219 aluminum alloy , and contains numerous improvements to manufacturing processes, including friction stir welding for the barrel sections, and integrated milling for the stringers . The first four flights will each use and expend four of the remaining sixteen RS-25D engines previously flown on Space Shuttle missions. Aerojet Rocketdyne refits these engines with modernized engine controllers, higher throttle limits, as well as insulation for
4284-570: Is part of the Space Launch Initiative theme that includes both NGLT and Orbital Space Plane . NGLT will focus on technology development to increase safety and reliability and reduce overall costs associated with building, flying and maintaining the nation's next-generations of space launch vehicles." NGLT covered : propulsion technology, launch systems (vehicle related technologies), and system analyses and engineering. Propulsion projects included : This article related to
4403-430: The Ares I 's five-segment solid rocket boosters, themselves modified from the Space Shuttle 's solid rocket boosters, until at least the late 2020s. The overly powerful advanced booster would have resulted in unsuitably high acceleration, and would need modifications to Launch Complex 39B , its flame trench, and Mobile Launcher . On 31 July 2013, the SLS passed Preliminary Design Review. The review included not only
4522-458: The Ares V rocket, a rocket based on both Space Shuttle and Apollo technologies. Orion would have been launched separately and would have linked up with Altair in low Earth orbit. Also, unlike Apollo, Orion would have remained uncrewed in lunar orbit while the entire crew landed on the lunar surface. Toward the end of the mission, the Altair spacecraft would have launched into lunar orbit to link up with
4641-518: The Constellation Program , including tests at low and high core temperatures, to validate performance at extreme temperatures. The 5-segment solid rocket booster would be carried over to SLS. Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems has completed full-duration static fire tests of the five-segment solid rocket boosters. Qualification Motor 1 was tested on 10 March 2015. Qualification Motor 2 was successfully tested on 28 June 2016. NASA has been reluctant to provide an official per-flight cost estimate for
4760-584: The Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first three SLS flights are expected to use the Block 1 configuration, comprising a core stage , extended Space Shuttle boosters developed for Ares I and the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) upper stage. The improved Block 1B configuration, with the powerful and purpose-built Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), is planned to be introduced on
4879-715: The Lunar Orbit Rendezvous method adopted by the Apollo program 's lunar missions with the Earth Orbit Rendezvous method which had also been considered. The name Ares (the Greek god called Mars in Roman mythology) was chosen for the boosters as a reference to the project's goal of landing on Mars. The numbers I and V were chosen to pay homage to the Saturn rockets of the 1960s. The Orion spacecraft would have been launched into
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4998-400: The Moon no later than 2020" with a crewed flight to the planet Mars as the ultimate goal. The program's logo reflected the three stages of the program: the Earth (ISS), the Moon, and finally Mars—while the Mars goal also found expression in the name given to the program's booster rockets: Ares (the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mars ). The technological aims of the program included
5117-525: The Moon , versus the Saturn V 's 45 metric tons (99,000 lb) lunar payload. The Ares V design consisted of six RS-68 engines with assistance from a pair of 5.5-segment SRBs. Five RS-25 engines were originally planned for the Ares V, but the RS-68 engines are more powerful and less complex and therefore less expensive than the SSMEs. The Ares V would have flown for the first eight minutes of powered flight, then
5236-525: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Constellation Program The Constellation program (abbreviated CxP ) was a crewed spaceflight program developed by NASA , the space agency of the United States , from 2005 to 2009. The major goals of the program were "completion of the International Space Station " and a "return to
5355-542: The Orion spacecraft on the SLS, the Artemis II mission , no earlier than September 2025. Included in the above SLS costs above are (1) the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) , a $ 412 million contract and (2) the costs of developing the Exploration Upper Stage (below). Excluded from the SLS cost above are the costs to assemble, integrate, prepare and launch the SLS and its payloads, funded separately in
5474-522: The Saturn V . As of May 2010, the program got as far as launching the first Ares I-X first-stage flight on October 28, 2009 and testing the Orion launch abort system before its cancellation. Ares V would have had a maximum lift capacity of about 188 metric tons (414,000 lb) to low Earth orbit (LEO), compared to the Space Shuttle 's capacity of 24.4 metric tons (54,000 lb), and the Saturn V 's 118 metric tons (260,000 lb). The Ares V would have carried about 71 metric tons (157,000 lb) to
5593-550: The Space Launch System , and the Space Launch System, and the program was partially revived as the Artemis program in 2017. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration . Space Launch System The Space Launch System ( SLS ) is an American super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle used by NASA . As
5712-534: The Vehicle Assembly Building and then transported to LC-39A , and the Ares ;M/Orion stack would be transported to the adjacent Pad 39B. The Ares V/EDS/Altair stack would be launched first, into a 220 miles (360 km) high circular orbit. Approximately 90 minutes later, the Ares I/Orion would then launch with the crew into a nearly identical orbit. The Orion would then rendezvous and dock with
5831-486: The $ 11.9 billion spent on the SLS as of August 2018. By 2021, development of the core stage was expected to have cost $ 8.9 billion, twice the initially planned amount. In December 2018, NASA estimated that yearly budgets for the SLS will range from $ 2.1 to $ 2.3 billion between 2019 and 2023. In March 2019, the Trump administration released its fiscal year 2020 budget request for NASA, which notably proposed dropped funding for
5950-481: The Altair to land at a near-polar landing site suitable for a future lunar base. Approaching the lunar far side, the Orion/Altair combination would orient the Altair's engines forward and make the lunar orbit insertion (LOI) burn. Once in lunar orbit, the crew would refine the trajectory and configure the Orion spacecraft for uncrewed flight, allowing all four crew members to transfer to the Altair vehicle and land on
6069-614: The Altair, the crew would perform the Trans Earth Injection (TEI) burn for the return trip to Earth. After a two-and-a-half-day coast, the crew would jettison the Service Module (allowing it to burn up in the atmosphere) and the CM would reenter the Earth's atmosphere using a special reentry trajectory designed to slow the vehicle from its speed of 25,000 miles per hour (40,200 km/h) to 300 miles per hour (480 km/h) and thus allow
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#17328515992576188-608: The Altair/EDS combination already in low-Earth orbit. After the necessary preparations for lunar flight, the EDS would fire for 390 seconds in a translunar injection (TLI) maneuver, accelerating the spacecraft to 25,000 miles per hour (40,200 km/h). After this burn, the EDS would be jettisoned. During the three-day trans-lunar coast, the four-man crew would monitor the Orion's systems, inspect their Altair spacecraft and its support equipment, and correct their flight path as necessary to allow
6307-673: The Artemis I mission was powered by a single RL10B-2 engine, while the ICPS for Artemis II and Artemis III will use the RL10 C-2 variant. Block 1 is intended to be capable of lifting 209,000 lb (95 t) to low Earth orbit (LEO) in this configuration, including the weight of the ICPS as part of the payload. At the time of SLS core stage separation, Artemis I was travelling on an initial 1,806 by 30 km (1,122 by 19 mi) transatmospheric orbital trajectory. This trajectory ensured safe disposal of
6426-626: The Augustine Panel's "Flexible Path to Mars" option, modifying President Obama's prior proposal to include the continuing development of the Orion capsule as an auxiliary system to the ISS and setting the year 2015 as the deadline for the design of a new Super Heavy Launch Vehicle. In October 2010, the NASA authorization bill for 2010 was signed into law which canceled Constellation. However, previous legislation kept Constellation contracts in force until passage of
6545-536: The Block 1B and Block 2 variants of SLS. Congressional action ultimately included the funding in the passed budget. One Gateway component that had been previously planned for the SLS Block 1B is expected to fly on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. On 1 May 2020, NASA awarded a contract extension to Aerojet Rocketdyne to manufacture 18 additional RS-25 engines with associated services for $ 1.79 billion, bringing
6664-484: The Block II (lunar) Orion CSM and Altair ascent stage would have been adopted. NASA planned to use two separate boosters for the Constellation Program missions – the Ares I for crew and the Ares V for cargo. This would have allowed the two launch vehicles to be optimized for their respective missions, and allowed a much higher total lift for the Ares V without being cost-prohibitive. The Constellation Program thus combined
6783-553: The EUS with upgraded boosters. The ICPS for Artemis 1 was delivered by ULA to NASA about July 2017 and was housed at Kennedy Space Center as of November 2018. In mid-November 2014, construction of the first core stage hardware began using a new friction stir welding system in the South Vertical Assembly Building at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility . Between 2015 and 2017, NASA test fired RS-25 engines in preparation for use on SLS. The core stage for
6902-516: The Earth Departure Stage would have placed itself and the Altair spacecraft into low Earth orbit while awaiting the arrival of the Orion. Toward the end of the program, it became apparent that the ablatively-cooled RS-68B engines would not withstand the heat from the solid rocket boosters at launch, and NASA began again to consider using RS-25 engines instead of upgrading the RS-68 to be regeneratively-cooled . The Earth Departure Stage (EDS)
7021-576: The European Vinci instead of the RL10 , which offered the same specific impulse but with 64% greater thrust, which would allow for the same performance at a lower cost. In 2018, Blue Origin submitted a proposal to replace the EUS with a cheaper alternative to be designed and fabricated by the company, but it was rejected by NASA in November 2019 on multiple grounds; these included lower performance compared to
7140-490: The J-2X, NASA engineers visited museums, searched for Apollo-era documentation and consulted with engineers who worked on the Apollo program. "The mechanics of landing on the Moon and getting off the Moon to a large extent have been solved," said Constellation program manager Jeff Hanley. "That is the legacy that Apollo gave us." However, as the J-2X program progressed, it became apparent that, because of revised safety requirements and
7259-597: The Lunar Module, was not designed to be reusable, and the ascent stage would be discarded after use. The Altair descent stage was to be powered by four RL-10 rocket engines, which are also those used in the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V rocket. Unlike the current RL-10 engines in use, these newer RL-10s were to have the ability to throttle down to as low as 10% rated thrust (the older specifications allow for 20%), thus allowing
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#17328515992577378-412: The MAV to return to their interplanetary vehicle in Mars orbit, which would then be used to return to Earth. The mission would conclude with the re-entry and landing of the Orion capsule. NASA lists a number of reasons for a human return to the Moon on its website: In the words of former NASA Administrator, Michael D. Griffin , "The goal isn't just scientific exploration.... It's also about extending
7497-474: The Moon, while the Orion waits for their return. Upon receiving clearance from Mission Control, the Altair would undock from the Orion and perform an inspection maneuver, allowing ground controllers to inspect the spacecraft via live TV mounted on Orion for any visible problems that would prevent landing (on Apollo this was done by the Command Module Pilot). After receiving approval from ground controllers,
7616-474: The NASA Exploration Ground Systems , currently at about $ 600 million per year, and anticipated to stay there through at least the first four launches of SLS. Also excluded are payloads that launch on the SLS, such as the Orion crew capsule, the predecessor programs that contributed to the development of the SLS, such as the Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle project, funded from 2008 to 2010 for
7735-473: The NASA Office of Inspector General has called NASA's cost savings goals highly unrealistic and other potential government customers have made it clear they have no interest in using SLS. As of 2020 , three SLS versions are planned: Block 1, Block 1B, and Block 2. Each will use the same Core stage with its four main engines, but Block 1B will feature the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), and Block 2 will combine
7854-415: The Orion spacecraft docked with the landing module and the Earth Departure Stage (EDS), the EDS would then fire again and propel the Orion spacecraft to a nearby near-Earth asteroid where the crew would then land and explore its surface. Once the task was completed, the Orion spacecraft would then depart from the asteroid and, upon reaching the vicinity of Earth, would jettison both the service module and
7973-518: The Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit rendezvous. Like Apollo, the Orion capsule would then have returned to Earth, re-entering the atmosphere and landing in water. Like those of the Apollo Program, Constellation program missions would involve its main vehicle, the Orion spacecraft, flying missions in low Earth orbit to service the International Space Station, and in conjunction with the Altair and Earth Departure Stage vehicles, on crewed flights to
8092-425: The SLS program passed its Key Decision Point C review and was deemed ready to enter full development, costs from February 2014 until its planned launch in September 2018 were estimated at $ 7.021 billion. Ground systems modifications and construction would require an additional $ 1.8 billion over the same time. In October 2018, NASA's Inspector General reported that the Boeing core stage contract had made up 40% of
8211-412: The SLS program was stated to have a 70% confidence level for the first Orion flight that carries crew , the second SLS flight overall, to happen by 2023; as of November 2021 , NASA delayed Artemis II from 2023 to May 2024. In March 2023, NASA announced they had delayed Artemis II to November 2024 and in January 2024 the mission was further delayed to September 2025. Efforts have been made to expand
8330-402: The SLS. However, independent agencies, such as the White House Office of Management and Budget and the NASA Office of Inspector General , have offered their own estimates. A White House Office of Management and Budget letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee in October 2019 estimated that SLS's total cost to the taxpayer was estimated at "over $ 2 billion" per launch. When questioned by
8449-440: The Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters. The stock of SLS Block 1 to 1B boosters is limited by the number of casings left over from the Shuttle program, which allows for eight flights of the SLS. On 2 March 2019, the Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension program was announced, with the goal of developing new solid rocket boosters for SLS Block 2. These boosters will be built by Northrop Grumman Space Systems , and will be derived from
8568-587: The aerodynamic shape of the Apollo command and service module . However, in other areas Orion employs updated technology. The design of the launch vehicle taking Orion into orbit, the Ares I , employs many concepts from the Apollo program. The design of the J-2X engine intended for use on the Ares V booster rocket was originally to be similar to the J-2 engine of the Apollo-era Saturn V and Saturn IB rockets. In designing
8687-512: The agency's current course invited "failure, disillusionment, and [loss of] the longstanding international perception that human space-flight is something that the United States does best." The report recommended that Mars be the next major goal of human space flight. Several possible paths for reaching the planet by 2037 were explored in the report, which noted that returning to the Moon would offer "significant advantages" as an intermediate step in
8806-537: The capabilities lost with the retirement of the Space Shuttle . The act set out certain goals, such as being able to lift 70–100 tons into low earth orbit with evolvability to 130 tons, a target date of 31 December 2016 for the system to be fully operational, and a directive to use "to the extent practicable" existing components, hardware, and workforce from the Space Shuttle and from Ares I . On 14 September 2011, NASA announced their plan to meet these requirements:
8925-479: The composite-casing solid rocket boosters then in development for the canceled OmegA launch vehicle, and are projected to increase Block 2's payload to 290,000 lb (130 t) to low Earth orbit (LEO) and at least 101,000 lb (46 t) to trans-lunar injection . As of July 2021 , the BOLE program is under development, with first firing expected in 2024. The Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS)
9044-521: The core stage. ICPS then performed orbital insertion and a subsequent translunar injection burn to send Orion towards the Moon. The ICPS will be human-rated for the crewed Artemis II and III flights. The SLS Block 1 has a conical frustum -shaped interstage called the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter between the core stage and the ICPS. It consists of sixteen aluminum-lithium panels made of 2195 aluminum alloy . Teledyne Brown Engineering
9163-406: The cost of the program through 2025 to total at least $ 41 billion for four 209,000 lb (95 t) launches (1 uncrewed, 3 crewed), with the 290,000 lb (130 t) version ready no earlier than 2030. The Human Exploration Framework Team estimated unit costs for 'Block 0' at $ 1.6 billion and Block 1 at $ 1.86 billion in 2010. However, since these estimates were made, the Block 0 SLS vehicle
9282-405: The crew would then enter the Altair and fire the ascent stage engine to lift off from the surface, using the descent stage as a launchpad (and leaving it as a platform for future base construction). Upon entering orbit, the Altair would rendezvous and dock with the waiting Orion spacecraft, and the crew would then transfer, along with samples collected on the Moon, back to the Orion. After jettisoning
9401-465: The crew would then reenter the Orion, seal itself off from the ISS, and then undock from the station. Once the Orion reached a safe distance from the ISS, the Command Module (after having jettisoned the disposable service module) would re-enter in the same manner as all NASA spacecraft prior to the Shuttle, using the ablative heat shield to both deflect heat from the spacecraft and to slow it down from
9520-416: The design for the SLS, with the Orion spacecraft as payload. The SLS has considered several future development routes of potential launch configurations, with the planned evolution of the blocks of the rocket having been modified many times. Many options, all of which just needed to meet the congressionally mandated payload minimums, were considered, including a Block 0 variant with three main engines,
9639-435: The design of its new Space Launch System . One of the main goals of Constellation was the development of spacecraft and booster vehicles to replace the Space Shuttle . NASA had already begun designing two boosters, the Ares I and Ares V , when the program was created. Ares I was designed for the sole purpose of launching mission crews into orbit, while Ares V would have been used to launch other hardware which required
9758-419: The existing EUS design, incompatibility of the proposal with the height of the door of the Vehicle Assembly Building being only 390 feet (120 m), and unacceptable acceleration of Orion components such as its solar panels due to the higher thrust of the engines being used for the fuel tank. From 2009 to 2011, three full-duration static fire tests of five-segment solid rocket boosters were conducted under
9877-578: The first SLS, built at Michoud Assembly Facility by Boeing, had all four engines attached in November 2019, and it was declared finished by NASA in December 2019. The first core stage left Michoud Assembly Facility for comprehensive testing at Stennis Space Center in January 2020. The static firing test program at Stennis Space Center, known as the Green Run, operated all the core stage systems simultaneously for
9996-457: The first crewed mission to any extraterrestrial body besides the Moon, and would represent a step towards a human mission to Mars . The mission would start in a similar fashion to the lunar landing mission described above, using an Ares V to launch the landing module into Low Earth orbit , followed by the launch of an Orion spacecraft, with a two- or three-person crew (as opposed to a four-person crew for lunar missions) on an Ares I rocket. Once
10115-405: The first launch was originally scheduled for 8:30 am EDT, 29 August 2022. It was postponed to 2:17 pm EDT (18:17 UTC), 3 September 2022, after the launch director called a scrub due to a temperature sensor falsely indicating that an RS-25 engine's hydrogen bleed intake was too warm. The 3 September attempt was then scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak in the tail service mast quick disconnect arm, which
10234-473: The first time. Test 7 (of 8), the wet dress rehearsal, was carried out in December 2020 and the fire (test 8) took place on 16 January 2021, but shut down earlier than expected, about 67 seconds in total rather than the desired eight minutes. The reason for the early shutdown was later reported to be because of conservative test commit criteria on the thrust vector control system, specific only for ground testing and not for flight. If this scenario occurred during
10353-436: The four RS-25 engines, associated plumbing and hydraulic gimbal actuators , and equipment for autogenous pressurization of the vehicle's tanks. The core stage provides approximately 25% of the vehicle's thrust at liftoff, the rest coming from the solid rocket boosters. The stage measures 213 ft (65 m) long by 28 ft (8.4 m) in diameter and is visually similar to the Space Shuttle external tank . It
10472-486: The fourth flight; a further improved Block 2 configuration with new solid rocket boosters is planned for the ninth flight. After the launch of Artemis IV , NASA plans to transfer production and launch operations of SLS to Deep Space Transport LLC , a joint venture between Boeing and Northrop Grumman. The SLS is a Space Shuttle-derived launch vehicle . The rocket's first stage is powered by one central core stage and two outboard solid rocket boosters . All SLS Blocks share
10591-423: The growing mass of the upper stage, it was necessary to scrap the original J-2 design completely and use a completely new design for the J-2X. Like Apollo, Constellation would have flown a lunar orbit rendezvous mission profile, but unlike Apollo, Constellation would have also employed Earth orbit rendezvous , conveying the crew to the vehicle. The lander, known as Altair , would have been launched separately on
10710-457: The high temperatures the engine section will experience due to their position adjacent to the solid rocket boosters. Later flights will switch to an RS-25 variant optimized for expended use, the RS-25E, which will lower per-engine costs by over 30%. The thrust of each RS-25D engine has been increased from 492,000 lbf (2,188 kN), as on the Space Shuttle, to 513,000 lbf (2,281 kN) on
10829-462: The initial stack during takeoff, would meet with the International Space Station . After getting the go ahead from Houston, Orion would then dock with the ISS. The six-man crew (at a maximum) would then enter the station in order to perform numerous tasks and activities for the duration of their flight, usually lasting six months, but possibly shortened to four or lengthened to eight, depending upon NASA's goals for that particular mission. Once completed,
10948-435: The landing gear. Like its predecessor, the Altair design consists of two parts: an ascent stage which houses the four-person crew; and a descent stage consisting of the landing gear, and storage for the majority of the crew's consumables (oxygen and water) and for scientific equipment. Unlike the Lunar Module, Altair was designed to land in the lunar polar regions favored by NASA for future lunar base construction. Altair, like
11067-549: The landing module in a manner similar to that of Apollo 13 before entering the atmosphere for a Pacific Ocean splashdown. The ultimate goal of NASA's Constellation program was a crewed mission landing humans on Mars in the 2030s as a spiritual successor to the Apollo Applications Program in the 1960s. The mission would utilize the hardware of the Constellation Project, primarily the Orion spacecraft (or
11186-444: The order of $ 150 billion for Constellation to reach its objective if adhering to the original schedule. Another review in 2009, ordered by President Obama, indicated that neither a return to the Moon nor a crewed flight to Mars was within NASA's current budget. The Augustine panel proposed various options, that included two primary destination points (the Moon and deep space), three different types of Super Heavy Launch vehicles , and
11305-576: The payload would cost $ 1 billion for Orion and $ 300 million for the European Service Module . An October 2023 report found that recurring production costs for SLS, excluding development and integration costs, are estimated to be at least $ 2.5 billion per launch. NASA has said that it is working with Boeing to bring down the cost of SLS launches and that a higher launch frequency could potentially lead to economies of scale, and would allow fixed costs to be spread out over more launches. However,
11424-489: The polar regions of the Moon. There were no well-defined plans at the time of cancelation for a crewed flight to Mars , the ultimate goal of the project, but a mission to a Near-Earth asteroid was in the initial planning phase as of 2008. After being manufactured at private plants, the parts of the Ares I/Orion stack would be tested and assembled at the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center . Once assembly
11543-620: The primary launch vehicle of the Artemis Moon landing program, SLS is designed to launch the crewed Orion spacecraft on a trans-lunar trajectory. The first SLS launch was the uncrewed Artemis I , which took place on 16 November 2022. Development of SLS began in 2011 as a replacement for the retiring Space Shuttle as well as the canceled Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. SLS was built using existing Shuttle technology, including solid rocket boosters and RS-25 engines. The rocket has been criticized for its political motivations, seen as
11662-479: The process. The National Space Society (NSS), a private nonprofit, regards a return to the Moon as a high priority for the US space program, in order to develop the body of scientific knowledge of the Moon, particularly in regards to its potential for the creation of new industries, in order to provide further funding for further space exploration. On January 14, 2004 President George W. Bush requested that NASA develop
11781-423: The program, effective with the passage of the U.S. 2011 fiscal year budget . He then revised administration statements in a major space policy speech at Kennedy Space Center on April 15, 2010. On October 11, the signing of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 shelved the program, with Constellation contracts remaining in place until Congress would act to overturn the previous mandate. In 2011, NASA adopted
11900-689: The range of human habitat out from Earth into the Solar System as we go forward in time.... In the long run a single-planet species will not survive.... If we humans want to survive for hundreds of thousands or millions of years, we must ultimately populate other planets ... colonize the Solar System and one day go beyond." A report published in June 2014 by the US National Academy of Sciences called for clear long-term space goals at NASA. The report said that
12019-404: The regaining of significant astronaut experience beyond low Earth orbit and the development of technologies necessary to enable sustained human presence on other planetary bodies. Constellation began in response to the goals laid out in the Vision for Space Exploration under NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and President George W. Bush . O'Keefe's successor, Michael D. Griffin , ordered
12138-570: The rocket and boosters but also ground support and logistical arrangements. On 7 August 2014, the SLS Block 1 passed a milestone known as Key Decision Point C and entered full-scale development, with an estimated launch date of November 2018. In 2013, NASA and Boeing analyzed the performance of several Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) engine options. The analysis was based on a second-stage usable propellant load of 105 metric tons, and compared stages with four RL10 engines, two MARC-60 engines, or one J-2X engine. In 2014, NASA also considered using
12257-475: The rocket for Artemis I. It left Stennis on 24 April and arrived at Kennedy on 27 April. It was refurbished there in preparation for stacking. On 12 June 2021, NASA announced the assembly of the first SLS rocket was completed at the Kennedy Space Center. The assembled SLS was used for the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022. The first SLS, for Artemis I, launched an Orion spacecraft into a lunar orbit on
12376-546: The same purpose. Furthermore, it seeks human-rating for the launch vehicles in the United States Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles program. Private spacecraft are also operating under the Commercial Resupply Services program bringing cargo to ISS. The Orion spacecraft and Ares V (also Jupiter DIRECT family of rockets) was modified and reauthorized in 2010/2011 as the main payload of
12495-517: The second stage with liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) and liquid oxygen (LOX) fuel, and the crew, wearing all-purpose spacesuits , would enter the spacecraft three hours before liftoff. Once they were locked in, and after all systems were cleared by controllers at both the Cape and Mission Control in Houston, the Ares I would then launch. After a two-day orbital chase, the Orion spacecraft , having jettisoned much of
12614-420: The sixteen modernized engines. The RS-25E will further increase per-engine thrust to 522,000 lbf (2,321 kN). Blocks 1 and 1B of the SLS will use two five-segment solid rocket boosters. They use casing segments that were flown on Shuttle missions as parts of the four-segment Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters . They possess an additional center segment, new avionics, and lighter insulation, but lack
12733-402: The tank re-entered production and will be proof tested for strength, for use on Artemis III. As of July 2021, Boeing is also preparing to begin construction of the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), which is planned to be used on Artemis IV . Originally planned for late 2016, the uncrewed first flight of SLS slipped more than twenty-six times and almost six years. As of earlier that month,
12852-411: The time limit based on an engineering review. On 29 September 2021, Northrop Grumman indicated that the limit could be extended to eighteen months for Artemis I, based on an analysis of the data collected when the boosters were being stacked; an analysis weeks before the actual launch date later extended that to December 2022 for the boosters of Artemis I, almost two years after stacking. In late 2015,
12971-606: The total RS-25 contract value to almost $ 3.5 billion. NASA has spent $ 26.4 billion on SLS development since 2011, through 2023, in nominal dollars. This is equivalent to $ 32 billion in 2024 dollars using the NASA New Start Inflation Indices. In 2024, the US Congress approved "up to" $ 2,600 million for the NASA Space Launch System. In January 2024 NASA announced plans for a first crewed flight of
13090-427: The two craft would separate to a safe distance and the Altair's descent engines would fire again for powered descent to a pre-determined landing spot previously selected by uncrewed spacecraft. Upon landing, the crew would put on their extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits and commence the first of five to seven lunar EVAs, collecting samples and deploying experiments. After completing their Lunar Sortie operations,
13209-509: The use of Altair for both the lunar orbit insertion (LOI) and landing stages of lunar missions. The ascent stage was designed to be powered by a single engine, likely a hypergolic engine similar or identical to the main engine of the Orion CSM, which would use the descent stage as both a launchpad and a platform for future base construction. Alternately, there was a small possibility that the original plan of using LOX/CH 4 –fueled engines on board
13328-401: Was automated for most sections of the core stage, saving 12 days in the schedule. The Artemis II forward skirt, the foremost component of the core stage, was affixed on the liquid oxygen tank in late May 2021. By 25 September 2023 the core stage was functionally complete, as all sections were assembled and the four RS-25 engines had been installed. As of May 2023 , the complete core stage
13447-524: Was completed and a launch date was set, the crawler-transporter would transport the completed stack, along with the launch support tower and the Mobile Launcher-1 , out to LC-39B . Once the crawler-transporter reached the pad, the stack and the Launcher Platform would be left in place and the crawler-transporter removed to a safe distance. After final safety checks, the ground crew would fill up
13566-405: Was designed to be the main transport vehicle for astronauts on lunar missions. The Altair design was much larger than its predecessor, the Apollo Lunar Module , at almost five times the volume, occupying a total of 1,120 cubic feet (32 m ) compared with the Apollo lander's 235 cubic feet (6.7 m ). It was to stand 32 feet (9.8 m) tall and span 49 feet (15 m) wide from tip to tip of
13685-546: Was dropped in late 2011, and the design was not completed. In September 2012, an SLS deputy project manager stated that $ 500 million is a reasonable target average cost per flight for the SLS program. In 2013, the Space Review estimated the cost per launch at $ 5 billion, depending on the rate of launches. NASA announced in 2013 that the European Space Agency will build the Orion service module . In August 2014, as
13804-456: Was fixed; the next launch option was at first a period in late October and then a launch in mid-November, due to unfavorable weather during Hurricane Ian . It launched on 16 November. NASA originally limited the amount of time the solid rocket boosters can remain stacked to "about a year" from the time two segments are joined. The first and second segments of the Artemis I boosters were joined on 7 January 2021. NASA could choose to extend
13923-486: Was selected as the prime contractor for the Orion project on August 31, 2006, and Boeing was selected to build its primary heat shield on September 15, 2006. NASA initially planned to develop different Orion capsules tailored for specific missions. The Block I Orion was to be used for International Space Station missions and other Earth orbit missions, while the Block II and III variants were designed for deep-space exploration. Orion's design consists of three main parts:
14042-450: Was set to ship to NASA in late fall 2023, eight months later than was predicted originally. The complete core stage was delivered in July 2024. For Artemis III, assembly of elements of the thrust structure began at Michoud Assembly Facility in early 2021. The liquid hydrogen tank for Artemis III was originally planned to be the Artemis I tank, but it was set aside as the welds were found to be faulty. Repair techniques were developed, and
14161-479: Was the propulsion system designed to put the Altair upper stage on a lunar trajectory from within low Earth orbit. It was designed as the second liquid-fueled stage of the Ares V rocket. The Orion spacecraft would have been launched separately by Ares I, and then met and docked with the Ares V-launched EDS/Altair combination, delivering the crew and configuring the spacecraft for its journey to the Moon in
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