Altair Cover Page Altair Constellation Returns Humans to the Moon
Clinton Dorris Deputy Manager Altair Project Office Constellation EXPLORATION ROADMAP
0506 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
LunarLunar OutpostOutpost BuildupBuildup
ExplorationExploration andand ScienceScience LunarLunar RoboticsRobotics MissionsMissions
CommercialCommercial OrbitalOrbital Transportation ServicesServices forfor ISSISS
AresAres II andand OrionOrion DevelopmentDevelopment
AltairAltair Lunar LanderLander Development
AresAres VV and EarthEarth DepartureDeparture Stage
SurfaceSurface SystemsSystems DevelopmentDevelopment ALTAIR: BUILDING ON APOLLO’S FOUNDATION
Constellation Altair 10 Lunar Lander
Apollo Lunar Module
5 OverallVehicle Height in Meters
Height: 7 m Height: 10 m Diameter: 9 m Diameter: 15 m Gross Liftoff Mass: 15 Mt Gross Liftoff Mass: 54 Mt Cargo Gross Liftoff Mass: 45 Mt Crewed ALTAIR: LUNAR LANDER
4 crew to and from the surface Global access capability Anytime return to Earth Capability to land 14 to 17 metric tons of cargo Airlock for surface activities Descent Stage -Liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen propulsion Ascent Stage -Hypergolic propellants or Liquid oxygen/methane ALTAIR: DESIGN WORK IN PROGRESS
“Minimum Functional” design “Safety Enhanced” design “Reliability Enhanced” 8.4 m Ares V shroud, 45 mt control mass 10 m Ares V shroud design
In Work
LLPOAltair DesignDesign Cycle: Cycle: LDAC-1 LDAC-1LDAC-1∆∆∆∆ LDAC-2LDAC-2 LDAC-3 Altair Design Analysis Cycles (LDAC)
LDAC-1 – Minimum Functional Vehicle -Habitation module/airlock embedded in mid-bay within descent module structure -Designed for 8.4 meter Ares V shroud (7.5 meter diameter dynamic envelope)
LDAC-1 – Minimum Functional Vehicle with optimized descent module structure -Ascent module and airlock on top deck of “flatbed” lander
LDAC-2 – Safety/Reliability (crew) Upgraded Vehicle -Designed for 10 meter Ares V shroud (8.8 meter diameter dynamic envelope)
LDAC-3 – Safety/Reliability (mission) Upgraded Vehicle (currently in progress) -Global access capability ALTAIR: VEHICLE ARCHITECTURE
Three Primary Elements Descent Module • Provides propulsion for TCMs, LOI, and Airlock powered descent • Provides power during lunar orbit, descent, and Ascent Module surface operations • Serves as platform for lunar landing and liftoff of ascent module • Designed to fit within 10 meter shroud • Liquid oxygen / liquid hydrogen propulsion • Fuel cell powered Ascent Module • Provides habitable volume for four during descent, surface, and ascent operations • Contains cockpit and majority of avionics • Provides propulsion for ascent from lunar surface after surface mission (hyper or LOX/Meth) Descent • Battery Powered Module Airlock • Accommodates two crew per ingress / egress • Connected to ascent module via short tunnel • Remains with descent module on lunar surface after ascent module liftoff ALTAIR: CONFIGURATION VARIANTS
Sortie Variant Outpost Variant Cargo Variant
Descent Module Descent Module Descent Module Ascent Module Ascent Module Cargo on Upper Deck Airlock ALTAIR: WORKFORCE
Prime Contractors Andrews Space Inc., Seattle, WA Boeing, Houston, TX/Seattle, WA Lockheed Martin, Denver, CO Northrup Grumman, El Segundo, CA/Bethpage, NY Odyssey Space Research, Houston, TX
Goddard Space Flight Center -Avionics -C & DH lead Glenn Research Center Ames Research Center -Power subsystem lead -Simulations -Ascent propulsion -Data management Langley Research Center Dryden Flight Research Center -Structures lead -Trainer development -Flight tests Johnson Space Center -Project management Marshall Space Flight Center JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) -Ascent Module -Descent Stage lead -Guidance, Navigation & Control -Guidance, Navigation & Control -Propulsion System lead -Subsystem integration -Environmental control and life support -Additional subsystem support -Additional subsystem support -Thermal Kennedy Space Center -Ground processing -Final assembly and checkout Subcontractors Ball Aerospace Technologies, Boulder, CO Harris Corporation, Melbourne, FL Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, MA Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix, AZ Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, W. Palm Beach, FL Wyle Corporation, Houston, TX Hamilton Sunstrand, Windsor Locks, CT MDA Federal, Houston, TX Aerojet, Sacramento, CA Microsat Systems, Littleton, CO United Space Alliance, Houston, TX Space Exploration Technologies, Hawthorne, CA Orbital Technology, Birmingham, AL LUNAR COMPONENTS OF CONSTELLATION
Earth Departure Stage Orion-Crew Exploration Vehicle
Ares I – Crew Launch Vehicle Altair- Lunar Lander Ares V – Heavy Launch Vehicle ALTAIRMISSION: ANDLUNAR ARES SORTIE V CREW WITH CARGO
Orion and the crew are launched on an Ares I rocket to low Earth orbit
Altair and the Earth Departure Stage are deployed on an Ares V rocket to low Earth orbit
The two vehicles rendezvous and dock
The Earth Departure Stage will provide the trans-lunar injection burn needed to leave low Earth orbit ALTAIR AND ORION: JOURNEY TO THE MOON
Altair and Orion make the journey to the moon after the Earth Departure Stage is discarded ALTAIR LANDS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE
Once in lunar orbit, the crew transfers to Altair and performs a powered descent to the lunar surface. ALTAIR: ASCENT STAGE
After 7 days on the lunar surface, the crew returns to Orion in the ascent module ASCENT STAGE AND ORION
The ascent module docks with Orion and the crew transfers back to Orion
Orion returns the crew and science payload to Earth ALTAIR: RETURNING HUMANS TO THE MOON
The last human walked on the lunar surface on December 14, 1972 – Apollo sent two astronauts to the lunar surface for only three days.
The next generation of lunar exploration missions will have larger landing party of four astronauts, who will stay for extended periods on the lunar surface.
Initially, Altair will serve as the surface habitat for a new generation of space explorers who will, over time, build a lunar outpost that will allow for even longer stays.
The Moon will function as a testbed to prepare humans for further exploration to include Mars.