Spaceflight

Unveiled as the cargo launch vehicle (CaLV) in 2005 and renamed Ares V in 2006, its 51.00.48 point of departure (POD) design lifts the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) and Altair Lunar Lander into a 242km (150miles) orbit at a 29° inclination. Ares V has a two solid rocket booster (SRB) first stage and a core stage that uses six Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne 797,000lb (3,500kN)-thrust (108% in vacuum) RS-68B engines. Its EDS uses the P&WR 294,000kg (1,308kN)-thrust J-2X, derived from Saturn V's second-stage J-2 and under development for the Ares I crew launch vehicle's (CLV) upper stage. Both engines use liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The propellants' tanks are aluminium lithium alloy 2195. Ares V's dry structures, its stages' skirts and interstage, will be the graphite epoxy IM7. And it may use CLV, Altair and Orion crew exploration vehicle common avionics.