Ares V

The Constellation Program.

The Constellation Program includes the Ares I launch vehicle, capable of launching astronauts to low Earth orbit, the Ares V heavy-lift launch vehicle to send astronauts and equipment to the Moon, the Orion capsule to carry astronauts to low Earth orbit and beyond, and the Altair lunar lander and lunar surface systems astronauts will need to explore the lunar surface.

As the committee assessed the current status and possible future of the Constellation Program, it reviewed the technical, budgetary, and schedule challenges that the program faces today.

Given the funding upon which it was based, the Constellation Program chose a reasonable architecture for human exploration.

However, even when it was announced, its budget depended on funds becoming available from the retirement of the space shuttle in 2010 and the decommissioning of ISS in early 2016.

Since then, as a result of technical and budgetary issues, the development schedules of Ares I and Orion have slipped, and work on Ares V and Altair has been delayed.

Most major vehicle development programs face technical challenges as a normal part of the process, and Constellation is no exception.

While significant, these are engineering problems that the committee expects can be solved.

Among the principal elements of the Artemis program are space shuttle-derived hardware, such as the Space Launch System's core stage, its RS-25 engines and solid rocket boosters, as well as systems originating from the cancelled Constellation program, including the Orion spacecraft.

paired with the European Space Module and booster upgrades initially developed for Ares V.

Other elements, such as the human landing system, are in development by private space flight companies under contract.

International collaborations are bound by the Artemis Accords.

It had 34.5 meganewtons of thrust.

It was designed at Marshall Space Flight Center.

Development of the Space Launch System began way back in 2011 as a congressionally mandated replacement for the retiring Space Shuttle program and the cancelled Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles of the Constellation program.

incorporating some hardware from both programs