List of Constellation missions

As of early 2009, crewed flights for NASA Project Constellation missions were planned to begin around 2014; an independent assessment by the Augustine Commission estimated that this would not occur until 2017-2019. The first launch of the suborbital Ares I-X launch system was in October, 2009, with a second test launch scheduled for 2012. However, on February 1, 2010, President Obama announced a proposal to cancel the Constellation program and effectively end the U.S. manned space program effective with the U.S. 2011 fiscal year budget.

Tests of the Launch Abort System were conducted in 2010.

The test flight of Ares V was planned for 2018, with lunar return flights beginning in 2019; the Augustine Commission estimated this would not actually occur until the late 2020s.

Contents

Development of mission plans

In October 2006 NASA released a draft schedule of all planned NASA Project Constellation missions through 2019.[1][2] This document included descriptions of a series of proposed vehicle test missions. In July 2007 the schedule was reviewed.[3] In January 2008 the schedule was again reviewed.[4][5] The most recent published set of milestones is from February 2009.[6] Also, an independent assessment by the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee in October 2009 found that under NASA's current plans and budget the Ares I would not be ready to launch until 2017-2019, with the Ares V not available until the late 2020s.

Constellation missions

Proposed schedule as of October 2009
Order Date Year Mission Launch Vehicle Duration Crew Size Launch Pad Note
1 October 28 2009 Ares I-X Ares I-X ~2 min. Unmanned 39B Atmospheric test of the first stage of the Ares I-X launcher with four active SRM segments and an inert fifth segment and upper stage.
Planned missions
2 2012 Ares I-X Prime Ares I-X Prime ~8 min. Unmanned 39B Second sub-orbital Ares I-X test flight, comprising of a five segment booster with real upper stage and a dummy J-2 engine. High altitude abort.
3 2014 Orion 1 Ares I Unmanned 39B First flight of the Orion spacecraft, in an unmanned orbital flight with a splashdown off Australia.
4 2015 Orion 2 Ares I 39B First manned Orion test flight.[7] Dress rehearsal for the first manned mission including demonstration of rendezvous and proximity operations with the ISS. First docking with the ISS. Landing at Edwards AFB. Leaves an adapter on the ISS.
5 2015 Orion 3 Ares I 39B Second manned Orion test flight. Leaves a second adapter on the ISS.
6 2015 Orion 4 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight. First operational Orion flight.
7 2016 Orion 5 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
8 2016 Orion 6 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
9 2017 Orion 7 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
10 2017 Orion 8 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
11 2018 Orion 9 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
13 2018 Ares V-Y Ares V-Y 0 39A Maiden flight of Ares V.
14 2018 Orion 10 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
15 2019 Altair 1 Ares V 0 39A Maiden flight of Altair. Altair for Orion 11.
16 2019 Orion 11 Ares I 39B
17 2019 Orion 12 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
18 2019 Altair 2 Ares V 0 39A Altair for Orion 13.
19 2019 Orion 13 Ares I 39B First Orion flight to the Moon.
20 2019 Orion 14 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
21 2020 Altair 3 Ares V 0 39A Altair for Orion 15.
22 2020 Orion 15 Ares I 39B Flight to the Moon.
23 2020 Orion 16 Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
24 2020 Altair 4 Ares V 0 39A Direct lunar flight?
25 2020 Orion 17[8] Ares I 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.

Ascent abort tests

These will be conducted using the Orion Abort Test Booster (ATB), similar to the Little Joe II used for Apollo testing. A boilerplate Orion capsule[9] and the escape tower will be tested on these missions.

Order Month Year Mission Note
Planned missions
1 Q3 2010 AA-1 Transonic speeds. Date subject to change with test experience.[6]
2 Q4 2011 AA-2 Maximum dynamic pressure region (max Q). Date subject to change with test experience.[6]

Pad abort tests

These will test the launch escape system of the Orion spacecraft on the launchpad.[3]

Order Date Year Mission Note
1 May 6 2010 Pad Abort 1 Used the former shape of the LAS adapter.

Also known as abort flight test (AFT). The full-scale Orion AFT crew module underwent preparations at Dryden Flight Research Center. [10]

Orion Crew Module Pathfinder 'Test Article' fabricated at Langley Research Center. The PA-1 Test took place at U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.[11] The test slipped to "early 2010" from an originally planned date of late 2008.[12] In October 2009 Orbital Sciences indicated the test was scheduled for March 2010.[13]
Planned missions
2 Q4 2012 Pad Abort 2 Date subject to change with test experience.[6]

References

  1. ^ "NASA sets Orion 13 for Moon Return". NASAspaceflight.com. 11 Oct 2006. http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=4859. 
  2. ^ "Constellation Program Initial Capability Content (PMR Rev. #1)". NASA. http://pmchallenge.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/2007Presentations/Presentations/Hanley_Jeff.pdf. 
  3. ^ a b "Multi-Program Integrated Milestones". NASA. 2007-07-10. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/182032main_MPIM-rev-2007-07-10-01.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-21. 
  4. ^ "$700m gap threatens major delays to Ares test flights/development". NASAspaceflight.com. 2008-01-18. Archived from the original on 2008-01-22. http://web.archive.org/web/20080122130302/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5335. Retrieved 2008-02-01. 
  5. ^ "Manifest Comparison PMR07 vs. PMR08 Guidelines". NASA. 2008-01-18. http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/get-attachment-big.asp?action=view&attachmentid=38704. Retrieved 2008-02-01. 
  6. ^ a b c d "Multi-Program Integrated Milestones, Q2 FY 2009". NASA. 2009-02-03. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/255656main_MPIM-rev-FY2009-Q2%20(FINAL).pdf. Retrieved 2009-07-20. 
  7. ^ "Managers reevaluating Ares I-Y flight test". NASA.gov. 03 Nov 2009. http://wiki.nasa.gov/cm/blog/Constellation/posts/post_1257272662132.html. 
  8. ^ 2009 MPIM gives "Orion 8"; presumably a typo
  9. ^ "NASA GRC Solicitation: NASA Abort Test Boilerplate Crew Module Gaseous Nitrogen Cold-gas Reaction Control System". SpaceRef.com. June 8, 2006. http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=20883. 
  10. ^ "Surrounded by work platforms, the full-scale Orion AFT crew module is undergoing preparations for the first flight test of Orion's launch abort system". NASA. 2008-05-20. http://www1.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/Orion/HTML/ED08-0090-349.html. Retrieved 2008-10-10. 
  11. ^ "Langley Reaches Milestone, Completes Orion Crew Module Test Article". NASA. 2008-10-06. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/releases/08-063.html. Retrieved 2008-10-10. 
  12. ^ "Orion Pad Abort Test Slips Into 2010". Aviation Week. 2009-08-17. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=space&id=news/orion08179.xml. Retrieved 2009-08-18. 
  13. ^ "Q3 2009 Orbital Sciences Corporation Earnings Conference Call". Thomson Reuters. Oct 27, 2009. http://www.orbital.com/Investor/Transcript/ConfCall.pdf. 

External links

Active
Previous
Canceled
Launch tests
Later missions
List of Constellation missions · Orion Asteroid Mission · Orion Mars Mission
Components
Launch sites
Abort
Related topics
Current
Planned
Completed
Spaceflight lists and timelines
General
Human spaceflight
General
Solar System exploration
Earth-orbiting satellites
Vehicles
Launches by rocket type
Agencies, companies
and facilities
Other mission lists
and timelines