NASA working on new spacecraft

Launches: will no longer look like this, with the new generation of spacecrafts. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Neil Armstrong uttered the famous words, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind,” as he stepped onto the lunar surface, 1969.

Now, NASA is making another “giant leap for mankind” as it develops a program for a new generation of spacecrafts.

The program, Project Constellation, will replace the space shuttle with new launch vehicles and seek to both establish a lasting presence in low Earth orbit and eventually send a manned craft to Mars.

“The general idea is to renew our presence in space out beyond Earth’s orbit, and the first thing would be to go back to the moon,” said John Cochran, department head and professor of aerospace engineering at Auburn University.

Different from the space shuttle which launched the crew and cargo together, Project Constellation has two separate launch vehicles, Ares V and Ares I.

Ares V launches first, propelling cargo and supplies necessary to sustain human life beyond Earth into space. It also sends the lunar lander and Earth Departure Stage into orbit, along with any other supplies the astronauts will need for the duration of their mission.

Next, Ares I will launch the Orion spacecraft, carrying the mission’s crew, into orbit approximately 90 minutes after Ares V’s departure.

According to NASA public affairs specialist, Grey Hautaluoma, the Orion capsule will rendezvous with the Earth Departure Stage and lunar lander before journeying to the moon.

“The crew capsule will mate with the Earth Departure Stage, which will then fire and direct the capsule and the lunar lander toward the moon,” Hautaluoma said.

NASA instituted Project Constellation because new technologies allow the Ares vehicles to be more efficient than the space shuttle in nearly all aspects. The new vehicles are “more efficient, more economical and safer,” according to Cochran.

“The problem with the space shuttle is all the shuttles are getting older and older, and you have all the expense of refurbishing them and checking them and keeping them space-worthy,” Cochran said.

In addition, the space shuttles were designed as vehicles that could handle all tasks and carry all cargo. With all of these responsibilities and capabilities attached to the crew’s vehicle, procedures could become complicated. The Ares vehicles are less complicated, and in turn, more safe for the crew.

Scott Thomas, who will graduate this summer with a degree in aerospace engineering, added the space shuttle is simply outdated, and this change was necessary for NASA to be capable of making its desired advancements.

“The shuttle is old; its first launch was over 25 years ago in 1981,” Thomas said. “Also, the shuttle is not capable of achieving the goals set for NASA’s Constellation program. The shuttle simply does not have the capacity of launching a crew to the moon, not to mention Mars.”

The Ares vehicles will completely replace the space shuttles that have been used since their debut in the late 1960s.

“The shuttle will be retired in 2010,” Hautaluoma said.

Test flights of the Ares I rocket are scheduled to begin spring 2009, and the first mission is projected for 2015 with a destination of the International Space Station.

Project Constellation also aims to raise awareness of NASA’s plans and to replenish the country’s interest in space exploration.

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