Earth orbit rendezvous

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Earth Orbit Rendezvous was a proposed method for American space missions to the Moon. It consisted of using a series of small rockets half the size of a Saturn V Rocket to put different components of a spacecraft to go to the Moon in orbit around the Earth, then assemble them in orbit. It was viewed as undesirable because at the time there was not that much experience with maneuvering space objects to rendezvous, and it was unknown if the ship could be successfully constructed in space. Instead, NASA employed the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous for the Apollo Program, using the Saturn V to boost both the Apollo Command and Lunar Modules into low Earth orbit, and then firing again to send both spacecraft out to the Moon.

This mode has been revived for Project Constellation as the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) and Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM), which would be launched into low Earth orbit on the Ares V rocket. The EDS and LSAM would be met by the separately launched Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). Once joined in low Earth orbit, the three would then travel out to the Moon and the CEV/LSAM combination would fly a lunar orbit rendezvous flight pattern.