Ares IV

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The Ares IV launch vehicle is the third in a series of proposed heavy-lift space launch vehicles that will support Project Constellation, the United States' current program of manned space exploration.

[edit] Description

Comparison of Saturn V, Space Shuttle, and the proposed Orion spacecraft.

As described by NASA in January 2007^[1], the 113 m (371 ft) vehicle would consist of the liquid-fueled core stage from the Ares V heavy lift launch vehicle (LV) design, two five-segment solid rocket boosters, and the liquid-fueled upper stage from the Ares I LV. Total payload capacity would be 41,100 kg (90,610 lb) to 240 miles (386 km) for direct trans-lunar injection.

[edit] Mission

In late January 2007, NASA stated that the Ares IV was being considered as a way to fly early crewed lunar-orbit-only missions to provide "shakeout" testing of the Orion crew exploration vehicle, and to evaluate high-speed "skip" reentry profiles of the Orion capsule.^[2]

The Ares IV might also be useful beyond these early roles. The vehicle would be capable of launching either the Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) or the Block 2 lunar mission Orion crew exploration vehicle (CEV) into a direct lunar trajectory. After two Ares IV launches, one for the manned Orion spacecraft and one for the unmanned LSAM lander, the Orion and LSAM vehicles would rendezvous and dock in lunar orbit. This would be in contrast to the mission scenario for Ares I and Ares V in which the crewed Orion and empty LSAM would rendezvous and dock in Earth orbit then depart for the Moon. If the original plans are kept intact the Ares IV may be useful in the event of an Apollo 13-like malfunction by launching a modified unmanned "Rescue Orion" to the Moon allowing the crew, using the LSAM as a lifeboat, to abandon the damaged Orion and come back to Earth in the "Rescue Orion."

The Ares IV without the Solid Rocket Boosters could also be utilized to place the Orion spacecraft into low-Earth orbit, allowing NASA to retire the Ares I and to save costs by using identical facilities.^{[citation needed]} This would be in the same concept as that for the Saturn II and Saturn INT-20 rockets that were planned for the Apollo Applications Program, but scrapped by the Nixon Administration in favor of the Space Shuttle. The Space Shuttle is scheduled to retire in 2010 in favor of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle.

[edit] See also

• Project Constellation
• Orion (spacecraft)
• Ares I
• Ares V
• Saturn V
• DIRECT, shuttle-derived launcher proposed as alternative to Ares I and Ares V

[edit] References

v • d • e Project Constellation Sub-orbital Ares I-X · Ares I-Y Earth orbital Orion 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · Ares V-Y · Orion 12 · 14 · 16 · 18 · 20 Lunar Altair 1 / Orion 13 · Altair 2 / Orion 15 · Altair 3 / Orion 17 · Altair 4 / Orion 19 · Altair 5 / Orion 21 Solar System Orion Asteroid Mission · Orion Mars Mission Components Orion · Ares (I · IV · V) · Earth Departure Stage · Altair · J-2X · RS-68 Launch sites Kennedy Space Center LC-39A/B Abort Orion abort modes · In-flight aborts and rescue options · Orion Abort Test Booster · Launch Abort System (LAS) · Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) Other Vision for Space Exploration · Exploration Systems Architecture Study · DIRECT List of missions

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