Constellation Program - Spacecraft

Spacecraft

Constellation included the development of spacecraft and booster vehicles to replace the Space Shuttle. NASA had already begun designing two boosters, the Ares I and Ares V. Ares I would have had the sole function of launching mission crews into orbit, while Ares V would have been used to launch other hardware for use on missions requiring a heavier lift capacity than the Ares I booster. In addition to these two boosters, NASA designed a set of other spacecraft for use during Constellation. These included the Orion crew capsule, the Earth Departure Stage and the Altair lunar lander.