Program Background

Mission Directorate: Exploration Systems
Theme: Constellation Systems

The Constellation Systems Theme, consisting of the Constellation Systems Program and the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program, aims to develop capabilities to transport humans to the Moon and back, as well as to low Earth orbit, in a sustainable, safe, and affordable manner as the U.S. prepares for future missions to Mars and other destinations.[1]

Within the Constellation Program there are four major project budgets:

1. Orion crew exploration vehicle
2. Ares I launch vehicle designed to lift Orion to low Earth orbit
3. Ares V launch vehicle to propel crew and support systems out of low Earth orbit,
4. Program Integration and Operations, which includes the systems to support ground and mission operations, extravehicular activity, a lunar lander, and lunar surface systems.[2]

After the Space Shuttle retires in 2010, resupply missions to the International Space Station will still be required. NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program is in place to encourage private sector development of a cost-effective, U.S. commercial space transportation capability. At present, the Agency has two funded Space Act Agreement (SAA) partners: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, CA, and Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, VA, as well as unfunded SAA partnerships with PlanetSpace of Chicago, IL and SpaceDev of Poway, CA.[3]