List of Constellation missions

Artist's rendition of the docking of Orion to the ISS

Ares I-X launches from LC-39B, 15:30 UTC, October 28, 2009.

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.

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^[update]

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

• Official Constellation NASA Web Site
• Official Orion NASA Web Site
• Official Ares Web Site