Cargo LV Credit - © Mark Wade

NASA baseline heavy-lift vehicle to renew manned lunar exploration by 2020.

The Ares Cargo LV would use two five-segment versions of the shuttle's RSRM rocket motors as lateral boosters (the standard RSRM had four segments). The core would be a stretched version of the shuttle's external tank, with five RS-68 engines engine mounted on the base (the first September 2005 version of the design used expendable versions of the shuttle SSME engine). This basic vehicle could deliver 130 tonnes to low earth orbit. However, normally it would be used with an upper stage for manned lunar missions. On such missions the basic vehicle would separate from the upper stage while still suborbital. The upper stage, also based on the external tank but powered by one J-2S engines, would insert itself into an earth parking orbit. Its payload would be a lunar lander. After up to thirty days in orbit, a manned Orion spacecraft would rendezvous and dock with the upper stage and lander. The upper stage would launch the lander and CEV toward the moon, then separate.

For later manned Mars expeditions, four launches of the Ares V would be required to assemble the Mars spacecraft in low earth orbit.

Manufacturer: NASA. LEO Payload: 124,600 kg (274,600 lb). to: 160 km Orbit. at: 28.00 degrees. Payload: 54,600 kg (120,300 lb). to a: translunar trajectory. Associated Spacecraft: LSAM. Liftoff Thrust: 32,629.607 kN (7,335,427 lbf). Total Mass: 3,360,000 kg (7,400,000 lb). Core Diameter: 8.40 m (27.50 ft). Total Length: 109.20 m (358.20 ft).

• Stage Number: 0. 2 x Stage: Shuttle ASRM. Gross Mass: 625,000 kg (1,377,000 lb). Empty Mass: 75,000 kg (165,000 lb). Thrust (vac): 15,566.115 kN (3,499,402 lbf). Isp: 286 sec. Burn time: 133 sec. Isp(sl): 259 sec. Diameter: 3.81 m (12.49 ft). Span: 3.81 m (12.49 ft). Length: 38.41 m (126.01 ft). Propellants: Solid. No Engines: 1. Engine: Hercules. Other designations: Advanced Solid Rocket Motor. Status: In development.

• Stage Number: 1. 1 x Stage: Ares Stage 1. Gross Mass: 787,700 kg (1,736,500 lb). Empty Mass: 64,200 kg (141,500 lb). Thrust (vac): 8,705.990 kN (1,957,184 lbf). Isp: 453 sec. Burn time: 480 sec. Isp(sl): 363 sec. Diameter: 8.70 m (28.50 ft). Span: 8.70 m (28.50 ft). Length: 43.00 m (141.00 ft). Propellants: Lox/LH2. No Engines: 3. Engine: SSME. Status: In development. Modification of shuttle external tank. Includes 28.6 tonne SSME engine pod.

• Stage Number: 2. 1 x Stage: Ares Stage 2. Gross Mass: 172,000 kg (379,000 lb). Empty Mass: 13,200 kg (29,100 lb). Thrust (vac): 1,113.000 kN (250,212 lbf). Isp: 465 sec. Burn time: 640 sec. Diameter: 10.00 m (32.00 ft). Span: 10.00 m (32.00 ft). Length: 16.00 m (52.00 ft). Propellants: Lox/LH2. No Engines: 1. Status: In development. Trans-Mars injection stage. Nominal single engine; alternatively 7 RL10-derived engines.