Ares (rocket)

The Ares rockets were a family of launch vehicles developed by NASA as part of the Constellation program, an initiative announced in 2005 with the goal of returning humans to the Moon. The Constellation program was later cancelled in 2010. The Ares family included two primary variants: Ares I and Ares V.

Ares I: Designed as a crew launch vehicle, Ares I was intended to carry the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, housing astronauts, to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) for rendezvous with lunar-bound stages or for missions to the International Space Station (ISS). It utilized a single solid rocket booster (derived from the Space Shuttle's Solid Rocket Boosters) for its first stage, and a J-2X engine (an evolved version of the Saturn V's J-2 engine) for its upper stage. The Ares I was ultimately cancelled after significant development challenges and cost overruns.

Ares V: Designed as a heavy-lift cargo launch vehicle, Ares V was intended to carry the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) and the Altair lunar lander into LEO. This massive rocket would have been significantly larger and more powerful than the Saturn V that launched the Apollo missions. It would have used a core stage powered by multiple RS-68 engines (also used on the Delta IV Heavy rocket) and two solid rocket boosters derived from those used on the Ares I. Like the Ares I, the Ares V was cancelled with the termination of the Constellation program.

The Ares program faced numerous challenges, including technical difficulties, budgetary constraints, and shifting priorities within NASA. The technologies and designs developed for the Ares rockets contributed to the development of NASA's subsequent Space Launch System (SLS) program. The SLS incorporates elements of both the Ares I and Ares V concepts, such as the use of solid rocket boosters and liquid-fueled core stages.