Constellation program

On January 14, 2004 U.S. President George W. Bush in a speech to the nation announced a vision of U.S. space exploration. This statement became known as the NASA Constellation program and stipulated that return up to 2020 people to the moon and eventually should also travel to Mars and other destinations.

Because of the Augustine Commission results in 2009, the government provided under President Obama is a support of the program.

  • 2.1 events in 2009
  • 2.2 Events in 2010
  • 2.3 Events in 2011

The Constellation Program

President Bush indicated in his speech to the steps you want to take NASA to realize the vision of the return to the Moon. The completion of the ISS by 2010 and the phasing out of the space shuttle is the first step showed up. This allows the binding of further funding for the project. To carry out the mission is a personal transport system ( Crew Exploration Vehicle, CEV ) will be available by 2008 and a manned mission to be carried out no later than 2014. The last step involves the landing on the moon by 2020. Robotic missions to explore this purpose suitable landing sites and a heavy-lift rocket necessary. The remote target is the manned flight to Mars. The implementation of the objectives was held in the NASA Authorization Act of 2005.

The objectives of the program

The strategy of NASA for space exploration, the following topics that should be filled with the Constellation program includes:

  • Preparation of man on a flight to Mars and beyond
  • Answering scientific questions about the solar system and the universe
  • Continuous human presence on the moon, which leads to possible colonization
  • Expansion of economic earthly sphere to the moon

To fulfill this project, various technologies are needed that are similar to the Apollo program.

Program elements

The Constellation program includes five major elements:

  • The Ares I rocket to transport the transport spaceship Orion in Low Earth Orbit (LEO ).
  • The transport spaceship Orion (CEV ) for transporting astronauts to the ISS or the moon to the Earth Departure Stage.
  • The Ares V as heavy-duty trucks, for transport of the Earth Departure Stage and the Altair lunar lander in the LEO.
  • The Earth Departure Stage as a carrier system for a flight to the moon, with the transport spaceship Orion and the Altair lunar lander.
  • The Altair lunar lander for landing on the moon and the establishment of a base.

Vision

On 28 September 2007, NASA announced that it will conduct the first manned mission to Mars in 2037.

The era from U.S. President Obama

Events in 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama after taking office initiated a review of the U.S. manned space program, headed by Norman Augustine. The committee came to the conclusion that the Constellation program not with the fiscal year ( FY) 2010 was financed. In addition, funding from the FY 2009 and FY 2010 was planned under the original, fixed start of the project, assumptions, so that Ares I and Orion for these years were under-funded and are. Furthermore, the extension of the shuttle missions to 1 year, until 2011, as well as a possible extension of the ISS mission to 2020 were not foreseen in the original planning. This leads to a delayed start-up of Ares I and Orion, the earliest from 2017, which should serve as a shuttle successor already in 2012.

Due to the late publication of the Commission report, with respect to the U.S. FY ( beginning of October), was adopted in December of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2010, which a deletion of the Constellation program and initiation of another similar program, the NASA in FY 2010 ( 10/2009 - 09/ 2010) prohibits and a new adoption laws regarding this issue provides ( cooling-off period for the Congress ).

Events in 2010

In February 2010, U.S. President Obama announced the cancellation of the Constellation program, which led to marvels in Congress and to some hearings. Obama's plan called for the strengthening of the commercial sector and the development of new technologies for the exploration of outer space, on the L1 forth outside. The following April, U.S. President Obama announced the intention that astronauts to land on an asteroid by 2025. These objectives were in October, set at the NASA Authorization Act 2010, in which the development of a heavy-lift rocket and the parallel development ( alongside commercial developments for the LEO ) a passenger transport system are included.

Once in FY 2010 (ends 09/2010) no draft law regarding the termination or continuation of the Constellation program was adopted, the Consolidated Appropriations Act is still valid, and thus the Constellation program.

Events in 2011

In January 2011, NASA submitted a report to Congress, which provides a proposal of task fulfillment with respect to the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. The reference concept for the passenger transport system (Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle) provides for the NASA Orion design and that of the heavy-lift system ( Space Launch System) in the Ares V design in combination with elements of the Space Shuttle Programme. In May 2011, then NASA announced the continuation of the Orion Crew Vehicle MPCV as such in the report to the Congress proposed.

Orion (spacecraft) List of Constellation missions
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