Project Constellation...

[Mike70]

this is the overall name of the return to the moon program that is in full swing at NASA. the first Ares test is sched for may of next year. constellation consists of the Ares rocket, the orion crew module and the altair lunar lander. interesting thing is the altair comes in 3 forms - sortie (4 astronauts for 7 days), outpost (6 months) and cargo (for resupply). the Ares V is the mother of all rockets ever built. its lift capacity is 6 times greater than anything out there right now and is 12,000 kg greater than Saturn V (130,000 Kg vs. 118,000 kg). it is capable of sending a 65,000 kg payload into lunar orbit. here is vid:

[p2501]

any excuse i get to post this video is a win.

[Mike70]

i never get tired of seeing that video. i hope that idiot feels good about harrassing an old man and a legend. but i do not want this thread to turn into an apollo conspiracy thread. this is about the return to the moon not the history of the apollo program.

[AcesandEights]

it is capable of sending a 65,000 kg payload into lunar orbit. So, what is that? Like 8 pounds? *Runs off to do a metric conversion*

[p2501]

heh agreed. back the moon bit. when the hell are we putting a fixed station on it?

[Mike70]

heh agreed. back the moon bit. when the hell are we putting a fixed station on it? the altair lunar lander will be capable of remaining on the moon for up to 6 months or more. the cargo version of the altair will be able to resupply the outpost, so theoretically, the outpost version of the lander could be used as a hub to construct something more permanent around.

[Legion2213]

i never get tired of seeing that video. i hope that idiot feels good about harrassing an old man and a legend. but i do not want this thread to turn into an apollo conspiracy thread. this is about the return to the moon not the history of the apollo program. I doubt that any right minded folks actually believe in that conspiracy crap anyways. As for the US returning to the moon...Godspeed, I know I will be glued to all reports and footage of this amazing venture! I hope they really do push on from this and land men on Mars in the near future. Oh, and thanks for posting the Buzz Aldrin clip P2501...it's absolutely priceless and one of my all time faves!

[3pidemiC]

I really hope this is true. For some reason, I just a bad feeling that the project is going to be sidetracked, cancelled, or delayed.

[Mike70]

I really hope this is true. For some reason, I just a bad feeling that the project is going to be sidetracked, cancelled, or delayed. it is very true. this is NASAs flagship program and the direction it will be moving in for years to come. we are about 2 years away from the last space shuttle flight (STS-131 Atlantis in jan 2010 will be the final shuttle flight). constellation is the new focus. the first test flight is in may 09.