List of Constellation missions
This list contains all completed and previously planned missions of the Constellation program . In addition to the regular missions, the cancellation tests are listed.
List of regular Constellation missions
| date | mission | carrier rocket |
Duration | Crew size | start ramp |
comment | Mission outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 28, 2009 | Ares IX | Ares I | ≈8 min. | 0 | 39B | Test of the first stage of the Ares I launcher with four active SRM segments and an inactive fifth segment and a dummy of the upper stage |
Success of successful test of the first level and the separation from the upper level |
| All subsequent missions were canceled on February 1, 2010 . | |||||||
| 2012/2013 | Ares IX Prime | Ares I | ?? | 0 | ?? | This mission was meant to replace if Ares IY had been canceled. The mission process was not yet clear | |
| 2014 | Ares IY | Ares I | ≈8 min. | 0 | 39B | First test of an Ares-I launcher with a complete first stage and inactive upper stage with no engine. Aborted takeoff at high altitude. | |
| 2014 | Orion 1 | Ares I | ≈14 d | 0 | 39B | First flight of the Orion spacecraft , orbital flight. | |
| 2014 | Orion 2 | Ares I | ≈14 d | 2 | 39B | First manned flight, rendezvous and docking with the ISS | |
| 2015 | Orion 3 | Ares I | ≈14 d | 2 | 39B | Manned test flight | |
| 2015 | Orion 4 | Ares I | ≈90 d | 3 | 39B | First scheduled ISS flight crew exchange | |
| 2016 | Orion 5 | Ares I | ≈180 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2016 | Orion 6 | Ares I | ≈30 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2017 | Orion 7 | Ares I | ≈30 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2017 | Orion 8 | Ares I | ≈180 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2018 | Orion 9 | Ares I | ≈30 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2018 | Ares VY | Ares V | 0 | 39A | First flight of the Ares V | ||
| 2018 | Orion 10 | Ares I | ≈180 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2019 | Orion 11 | Ares I / V | ≈10 d | 3 | 39A / B | Test of coupling with the lunar module in earth orbit | |
| 2019 | Orion 12 | Ares I | ≈30 d | 4th | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2019 | Orion 13 | Ares I / V | ≈21 d | 3 | 39A / B | Manned moon landing | |
| 2019 | Orion 14 | Ares I | ≈30 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2020 | Orion 15 | Ares I / V | ≈21 d | 3 | 39A / B | Manned moon landing | |
| 2020 | Orion 16 | Ares I | ≈30 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
| 2020 | Orion 17 | Ares V | 0 | 39A | Possibly start of the construction of the lunar base | ||
| 2020 | Orion 18 | Ares I | ≈30 d | 3 | 39B | Manned ISS mission - crew exchange | |
List of termination tests
| date | mission | comment | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 8, 2009 | MLAS | Test of the alternative start abort system |
Success All goals achieved. |
| May 6, 2010 | Pad Abort-1 | Abort test on the start table |
Success All goals achieved. |
| 3rd quarter 2010 | AA-1 | Start aborted when the sound barrier is reached (Transsonic Abort) | deleted after the program was canceled |
| 4th quarter 2011 | AA-2 | Termination at the highest dynamic pressure load (Max Q) | deleted after the program was canceled |
| 4th quarter 2012 | Pad Abort-2 | second break test on the start table | deleted after the program was canceled |
Descriptions of the Constellation missions
Ares IX : First launch of the Ares I launcher with a first stage test. The solid propellant booster ( S olid R ocket B oosters) consisted of four active SRB segments and a fifth inactive segment and the upper stage. Both were loaded with steel to simulate the mass of the Orion spacecraft and the loading characteristics. The mission lasted around two minutes. After that, the upper stage of the rocket with the simulated payload crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, while the first stage of parachutes was recovered. The mission was a success.
Ares IY : First launch of the fully developed first stage of the Ares I launcher. This was to be the first flight of the full five-segment SRB. The upper stage should, however, be equipped with an inactive J-2X engine . The rocket was supposed to transport an unmanned crew module and a launch abort system. The inactive upper stage engine should trigger an aborted start after the stage separation. The duration of the mission was set at about eight minutes in total.
Orion 1 : First launch of the full rocket with fully functional upper stage and unmanned Orion spaceship. The flight of several days was intended to check all systems in the Orion capsule. Among other things, docking with the International Space Station should be tested. The mission should end with a splash in the Pacific Ocean and represent the dress rehearsal for the subsequent manned flights.
Orion 2 : First manned flight. This should be the first flight that corresponds to the mission profile of the later crew exchange flights, but the mission is still a test. The capsule should only be manned by two people. The landing was supposed to take place on the American mainland.
Further probable Orion missions (after 2020): These manned missions should probably serve to build NASA's first lunar base, which could be a possible preliminary stage of a settlement on the celestial body. In addition, these missions should serve to prepare a possible journey for humans to Mars, since the moon could be ideal as a terrain for collecting extraterrestrial experiences. According to NASA, the possible trip to Mars could have taken place until 2037, but the plans for this were still extremely vague at the time.
Web links
NASA: Constellation Program (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d NASA’S PROJECT CONSTELLATION AND THE FUTURE OF HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT. (PDF) SpacePolicyOnline.com, February 23, 2010, accessed on January 29, 2019 .
- ↑ NASA: Multi-Program Integrated Milestones (PDF; 729 kB), February 3, 2009 (English)