A Bold New Vision for NASA’s Constellation Program

NASA:

NASA is undertaking a bold new chapter in human spaceflight, which will take humans farther from our home planet than ever before. With our Constellation Program, astronauts will explore deep space for the first time, uniting a network of destinations throughout the solar system as we learn to live beyond Earth.

Our approach to space exploration is twofold. Exploration Missions will see astronauts charting a new frontier in space, using Exploration Elements to unlock the secrets of the Moon, asteroids, Mars, and beyond. Closer to home, astronauts will visit the International Space Station to conduct research and test new technologies for exploration, while bringing home benefits for all humankind.

Exploration Missions represent stepping stones on our path into the universe. The road to Mars and beyond is built on a set of key capabilities we'll need to master in order to enable pioneering discoveries in space. Each Exploration Mission will incrementally develop exciting new skills and technologies, growing our experience and giving us the confidence to take the next giant leap.

The Orion spacecraft and Ares rockets are the foundational pillars of our space program. Orion is America’s newest crewed spacecraft, and the first in history designed to carry humans beyond the Moon. Orion will also carry the torch of the Space Shuttle to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. The Ares I rocket will carry Orion into orbit, preparing it for missions beyond our home. Meanwhile, the Ares II rocket will deliver heavy payloads to deep space, enabling a new era of human space exploration.

Exploration Elements are the building blocks of deep space exploration. These modular components embody the technologies needed to explore beyond the Earth, including advanced propulsion, new scientific capabilities, and long-term human habitation in space. Leveraging the International Space Station for testing and development, Exploration Elements can be validated on their own in the deep space environment, or assembled into a variety of configurations to support unique mission needs. Together with the Orion spacecraft, the Exploration Elements will form the vessels our astronauts use to explore new frontiers among the stars.

Space exploration deepens our understanding of the universe we live in, as well as our appreciation for the planet we call home. When we rise to meet new challenges in space, we create jobs for the American people, invent technologies to solve problems on Earth, and inspire new generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers. United with our commercial and international partners, NASA stands ready to make history with ground-breaking missions into the cosmos for the benefit of all.

For more on NASA’s Constellation Program, visit: http://www.NASA.gov/Constellation/ 

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