Rajan Wilcox
The Ares V rocket was initially designed to be the cargo launch component of the NASA Constellation program, which was to replace the Space Shuttle after its retirement in 2011. Ares V was designed to use a pair of solid-fuel first-stage rocket boosters and a liquid-fueled core stage. The rocket's upper stage, known as the Earth Departure Stage (EDS), would be powered by an Apollo-derived J-2X rocket engine. Ares V was designed to have a payload capacity of over 414,000 lb (188 metric tons) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 157,000 lb (71 metric tons) to the Moon, making it the most powerful rocket ever built at the time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) |
| First-Stage Boosters | Two solid-fuel rocket boosters |
| Core Stage Fuel | Liquid fuel |
| Core Stage Engines | 5 or 6 RS-68B engines or 5 SSMEs |
| Upper Stage Engine | Apollo-derived J-2X rocket engine |
| Height | 367 ft (112 m) |
| Payload Capacity | 414,000 lb (188 metric tons) to LEO, 157,000 lb (71 metric tons) to the Moon |
| Purpose | Cargo launch component for NASA's Constellation program |
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What You'll Learn
Liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel
The Ares V rocket was to be fuelled by liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2). The rocket was designed to have a payload capacity of over 414,000 lb (188 metric tons) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 157,000 lb (71 metric tons) to the Moon.
The Ares V was to be the principal launcher for missions beyond the Earth-Moon system, including the crewed mission to Mars. It was also planned to carry supplies for human presence on Mars. The Ares V was designed to launch the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) and Altair lunar lander for NASA's return to the Moon, which was initially planned for 2019.
The Ares V was to use a pair of solid-fuel first-stage rocket boosters that would burn simultaneously with the liquid-fuelled core stage. The liquid-fuelled core stage was to be derived from the Space Shuttle external tank. The upper stage, named the Earth Departure Stage (EDS), was derived from the S-IVB upper stage used on the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets. The EDS would be powered by an Apollo-derived J-2X rocket engine.
The Ares IV concept combines an Ares I upper stage on top of an Ares V. The vehicle would consist of the liquid-fuelled core stage from the Ares V design, two five-segment solid rocket boosters, and the liquid-fuelled upper stage from the Ares I. The Ares IV would be a combined 367 ft (112 m) tall and could be used to reach the Moon. The successor to the Ares rocket family is the Space Launch System, which is a more versatile vehicle designed to launch both crew and cargo.
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Solid-fuel first-stage rocket boosters
Solid-fuel rocket boosters are used to gain enough initial thrust to launch a fully-fueled rocket. They are also used for some upper stages, such as the Star 37 ("Burner" upper stage) and the Star 48 ("Payload Assist Module" or PAM). Solid-fuel rocket boosters have been used in many government-directed programs, most often as booster rockets to add extra thrust during the early ascent of their primarily liquid rocket launch vehicles. Some examples include the European Ariane 5, US Atlas V and Space Shuttle, and Japan's H-II.
The Ares V was the planned cargo launch component of the cancelled NASA Constellation program, which was to have replaced the Space Shuttle after its retirement in 2011. Ares V was to use a pair of solid-fuel first-stage rocket boosters that burn simultaneously with the liquid-fueled core stage. The liquid-fueled core stage was to be derived from the Space Shuttle external tank and was to use either five or six RS-68B engines attached to the bottom of a new 10-meter diameter tank, or five SSMEs attached to the bottom of a stretched version of the Space Shuttle's 8.4-meter external tank. The Ares V was designed to have a payload capacity of over 414,000 pounds (188 metric tons) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 157,000 pounds (71 metric tons) to the Moon.
The Ares I was to complement the larger, uncrewed Ares V and was the planned crew launch component of the Constellation program. The first stage of the Ares I rocket was planned to use five-segment SRBs, which would have enabled the Ares I to produce more thrust. The second stage was powered by an uprated J-2X engine, derived from the J-2, which had been used in the upper stage of Saturn V and Saturn IB. The Ares I had a payload capability in the 25-tonne class and was comparable to vehicles such as the Delta IV and the Atlas V.
The successor to the Ares rocket family is the Space Launch System (SLS), a more versatile vehicle designed to launch both crew and cargo. The SLS uses a stretched 8.4-meter external tank and is powered by four RS-25s. It has a payload range of 95-130 tons to LEO across its different variants.
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Earth Departure Stage (EDS)
The Earth Departure Stage (EDS) was the upper stage of the Ares V rocket, which was to be powered by an Apollo-derived J-2X rocket engine. The EDS was designed to steer the Altair lunar lander into its initial low Earth "parking" orbit for later retrieval by the Orion spacecraft. It would then propel both the Altair and Orion to the Moon.
The EDS was also capable of taking large payloads into low Earth orbit and placing large uncrewed spacecraft beyond the Earth-Moon system. The Ares V was designed to have a payload capacity of over 414,000 lb (188 metric tons) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 157,000 lb (71 metric tons) to the Moon.
The Ares V was the planned cargo launch component of the cancelled NASA Constellation program, which was to have replaced the Space Shuttle after its retirement in 2011. Ares V was also planned to carry supplies for a human presence on Mars. Ares V and the smaller Ares I were named after Ares, the Greek god of war.
The Ares V rocket was to use a pair of solid-fuel first-stage rocket boosters that burn simultaneously with the liquid-fuelled core stage. The liquid-fuelled core stage was to be derived from the Space Shuttle external tank and was to use either five or six RS-68B engines attached to the bottom of a new 10-metre diameter tank, or five SSMEs attached to the bottom of a stretched version of the Space Shuttle's 8.4-metre external tank.
The successor to the Ares rocket family is the Space Launch System (SLS), a more versatile vehicle designed to launch both crew and cargo. The SLS uses the same Earth Departure Stage as the Ares V but with a different upper stage, the 4-RL-10 Exploration Upper Stage.
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Five-segment SRBs
Ares V, formerly known as the Cargo Launch Vehicle (CaLV), was the planned cargo launch component of NASA's cancelled Constellation program. Ares V was designed to have a payload capacity of over 414,000 lb (188 metric tons) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 157,000 lb (71 metric tons) to the Moon. It was to be fuelled by liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2).
The Ares V was to use a pair of solid-fuel first-stage rocket boosters that burn simultaneously with the liquid-fuelled core stage. The solid rocket booster was initially designed to be an improved version of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster, with five or five and a half segments instead of the usual four segments.
The five-segment SRBs would have enabled the Ares V to produce more thrust than its four-segmented predecessors. The additional segment also required several other changes to the rocket's design. For instance, the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) attachment points were removed, and the Solid Rocket Booster nosecone was replaced with a new forward adapter to interface with the liquid-fuelled second stage. The grain design, insulation, and liner were also modified.
The successor to the Ares rocket family, the Space Launch System (SLS), also uses the same 5-segment SRBs. The SLS is a more versatile vehicle designed to launch both crew and cargo. It has a payload range of 95-130 tons to LEO across its different variants.
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RS-68 engines
Ares V, formerly known as the Cargo Launch Vehicle, was the planned cargo launch component of the cancelled NASA Constellation program. The Ares V was to use either five or six RS-68B engines attached to the bottom of a new 10-meter diameter tank.
RS-68 is a liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen booster engine that develops 650,000 lb of sea-level thrust. The engine's mass is 14,560 pounds (6,600 kg). The RS-68 was developed at Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power, located in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California. It was designed to power the Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV). The RS-68 was gimballed hydraulically and was capable of throttling between 58% and 102% thrust. The engine produced 758,000 pounds-force (3,370 kN) in a vacuum and 663,000 pounds-force (2,950 kN) at sea level.
The RS-68A is an updated version of the RS-68, with increased specific impulse and thrust (over 700,000 pounds-force (3,100 kN) at sea level). The first launch, using three RS-68A engines mounted in a Delta IV Heavy rocket, took place on 29 June 2012, from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The RS-68A produces 705,000 lbf (3,140 kN) thrust at sea level and 800,000 lbf (3,560 kN) thrust in a vacuum.
The RS-68B was a proposed upgrade to be used in the Ares V launch vehicle for NASA's Constellation program. The Ares V was designed to use six RS-68B engines, along with two 5.5-segment solid rocket boosters.
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Frequently asked questions
The Ares V rocket was designed to use liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) as propellants. The amount of fuel used would depend on the mission and the number of rocket boosters employed.
The Ares V rocket primarily uses liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) as propellants.
The Ares V rocket is designed to be a larger, uncrewed complement to the smaller, human-rated Ares I rocket. Therefore, it is likely that the Ares V rocket would use more fuel than the Ares I rocket, especially considering its increased payload capacity.
The amount of fuel used by the Ares V rocket depends on various factors, including the number of rocket boosters employed, the mission's duration, and the payload weight. Longer missions with heavier payloads would require more fuel.
