How Will Orion Take Astronauts to the Moon?
The Ares I rocket will deliver Orion to Earth’s orbit. From there, a second rocket will be needed for the trip to the moon. The Ares V (5) rocket is much bigger and more powerful than the Ares I. For lunar missions, an Ares V rocket will be launched first and will carry the Altair moon lander into Earth orbit. The Ares I will be used to launch the Orion capsule in orbit. Orion will then dock with the Altair. The top stage of the Ares V will push the two vehicles out of Earth orbit and into orbit around the moon. The astronauts will use Altair to land on the moon. Orion will orbit around the moon with no one aboard. At the end of the mission, Altair will take off from the moon and dock with Orion. Orion will return the crew safely to Earth.
