List of Constellation missions

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 This article or section documents a scheduled or expected spaceflight.
Details may change as the launch date approaches or more information becomes available.

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 and is as follows[4][5]:

Contents

[edit] List of Constellation missions

Order Date Year Mission Duration Crew Size Launch Pad Note
Planned missions
1 April 15 2009 Ares I-X ~2 min. Uncrewed 39B Sub-orbital test of the first stage of the Ares I-X launcher with four active SRM segments and an inert fifth segment and upper stage.
2 August 27 or September 12 2013 Ares I-Y ~8 min. Uncrewed 39B Sub-orbital Ares I-Y test flight, comprising of a five segment booster with real upper stage and a dummy J-2 engine. High altitude abort.
3 January 2014 Orion 1 ~14d Uncrewed 39B First flight of the Orion spacecraft, in an unmanned orbital flight with a splashdown off Australia.
4 March 2014 Orion 2 ~14d 2 39B First manned Orion test flight. 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 June 2014 Orion 3 ~14d 2 39B Second manned Orion test flight. Leaves a second adapter on the ISS.
6 September 2014 Orion 4 ~90d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight. First operational Orion flight.
7 March 2015 Orion 5 ~180d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
8 September 2015 Orion 6 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
9 March 2016 Orion 7 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
10 September 2016 Orion 8 ~180d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
11 March 2017 Orion 9 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
12 September 2017 Orion 10 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
13 March 2018 Orion 11 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
14 June 2018 Ares V-Y 0 39A Maiden flight of Ares V.
15 September 2018 Orion 12 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
16 December 2018 Altair 1 0 39A Maiden flight of Altair. Altair for Orion 13.
17 December 2018 Orion 13 21d. 0 39B Unmanned moon fly-by. First Orion lunar mission.
17b March 2019 Orion 14 ~7d. 3 39B, 39A ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
18 June 2019 Altair 2 0 39A Altair for Orion 15.
19 June 2019 Orion 15 21d. 4 39B Human Lunar Return mission. First lunar landing of the Constellation project. Seventh human landing on the Moon, first human lunar mission and landing since 1972.
20 September 2019 Orion 16 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
21 December 2019 Altair 3 0 39A Altair for Orion 17.
22 December 2019 Orion 17 21d. 4 39B Eighth human landing on the Moon. Second lunar landing of the Constellation project.
23 March 2020 Orion 18 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
24 June 2020 Altair 4 0 39A Altair for Orion 19.
25 June 2020 Orion 19 21d. 4 39B Ninth human landing on the Moon. Third lunar landing of the Constellation project.
26 September 2020 Orion 20 ~30d 3 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
27 February 2021 Orion 21 ~28d 4 39B ISS Crew Rotation Flight.
28 May 2021 Altair 5 0 39A Altair for Orion 22.
29 May 2021 Orion 22 ~21d 4 39B Tenth human landing on the Moon. Fourth lunar landing of the Constellation project.

[edit] List of 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[6] and the escape tower will be tested on these missions.

Order Month Year Mission Note
Planned missions
1 September 2009 AA-1 Maximum dynamic pressure region (max Q).
2 August 2010 AA-2 Transonic speeds.
3 February 2011 AA-3 Ascent abort at a non-nominal attitude. Tumble abort.

[edit] List of pad abort tests

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

Order Quarter Year Mission Note
Planned missions
1 September 23 2008 Pad Abort 1 Will use the former shape of the LES adapter
2 May 2010 Pad Abort 2

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "NASA sets Orion 13 for Moon Return", NASAspaceflight.com, 11 Oct 2006. 
  2. ^ Constellation Program Initial Capability Content (PMR Rev. #1). NASA.
  3. ^ a b Multi-Program Integrated Milestones. NASA (2007-07-10). Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
  4. ^ $700m gap threatens major delays to Ares test flights/development. NASAspaceflight.com (2008-01-18). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  5. ^ Manifest Comparison PMR07 vs. PMR08 Guidelines. NASA (2008-01-18). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  6. ^ NASA GRC Solicitation: NASA Abort Test Boilerplate Crew Module Gaseous Nitrogen Cold-gas Reaction Control System. SpaceRef.com (June 8, 2006).

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