Altair Cover Page Altair Constellation Returns Humans to the Moon Clinton Dorris Deputy Manager Altair Project Office Constellation
EXPLORATION ROADMAP 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Lunar Capability Lunar Lunar Outpost Outpost Buildup Buildup Initial Capability Exploration Exploration and and Science Science Lunar Lunar Robotics Robotics Missions Missions Research Research and and Technology Technology Development Development on on ISS ISS for for Risk Risk Reduction Reduction Commercial Commercial Orbital Orbital Transportation Transportation Services Services for for ISS ISS Space Space Shuttle Shuttle Operations Operations Ares Ares II and and Orion Orion Development Development Operations Operations Capability Capability Development Development (EVA (EVA Systems, Systems, Ground Ground Operations, Operations, Mission Mission Operations) Operations) Orion Orion and and Ares Ares I Production Production and and Operation Operation Altair Altair Lunar Lander Lander Development Development Ares Ares V V and and Earth Earth Departure Departure Stage Stage Surface Surface Systems Systems Development Development
ALTAIR: BUILDING ON APOLLO S FOUNDATION 10 Constellation Altair Lunar Lander 5 Overall Vehicle Height in Meters Apollo Lunar Module Height: 7 m Diameter: 9 m Gross Liftoff Mass: 15 Mt Height: 10 m Diameter: 15 m 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 Safety Enhanced design 10 m Ares V shroud Minimum Functional design 8.4 m Ares V shroud, 45 mt control mass Reliability Enhanced design In Work AltairDesign DesignCycle: Cycle: LLPO LDAC-1 LDAC-1 LDAC-1 LDAC-1 LDAC-2 LDAC-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 Ascent Module Three Primary Elements Descent Module Airlock Descent Module Provides propulsion for TCMs, LOI, and powered descent Provides power during lunar orbit, descent, and 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) Battery Powered 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 Ascent Module Airlock Descent Module Ascent Module Descent Module Cargo on Upper Deck
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 Ames Research Center -Simulations -Data management Dryden Flight Research Center -Trainer development -Flight tests JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) -Guidance, Navigation & Control -Subsystem integration -Additional subsystem support Subcontractors Ball Aerospace Technologies, Boulder, CO Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, MA Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, W. Palm Beach, FL Hamilton Sunstrand, Windsor Locks, CT Aerojet, Sacramento, CA United Space Alliance, Houston, TX Orbital Technology, Birmingham, AL Glenn Research Center -Power subsystem lead -Ascent propulsion Johnson Space Center -Project management -Ascent Module -Guidance, Navigation & Control -Environmental control and life support -Thermal Harris Corporation, Melbourne, FL Honeywell Aerospace, Phoenix, AZ Wyle Corporation, Houston, TX MDA Federal, Houston, TX Microsat Systems, Littleton, CO Space Exploration Technologies, Hawthorne, CA Goddard Space Flight Center -Avionics -C & DH lead Langley Research Center -Structures lead Marshall Space Flight Center -Descent Stage lead -Propulsion System lead -Additional subsystem support Kennedy Space Center -Ground processing -Final assembly and checkout
LUNAR COMPONENTS OF CONSTELLATION Earth Departure Stage Orion-Crew Exploration Vehicle Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle Ares V Heavy Launch Vehicle Altair- Lunar Lander
ALTAIR MISSION: AND LUNAR 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
Orion returns the crew and science payload to Earth ASCENT STAGE AND ORION The ascent module docks with Orion and the crew transfers back to Orion
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.