What kind of rockets is NASA currently planning?
NASA is developing two different rockets, called Ares I and Ares V. Ares I is a small rocket that would carry a capsule of astronauts up to low-Earth orbit and to the space station. Known as “the stick”, it uses two vertically stacked stages. The first is a solid rocket booster similar to those strapped to the sides of the space shuttle’s huge fuel tank. It provides the initial power for lift-off; then the second stage ignites in mid-air to carry the crew into orbit. The larger Ares V rocket would haul cargo into orbit, including a lunar module that could dock with the astronauts in orbit and shoot them out to the Moon. What’s wrong with those rockets? NASA has focused on designing the Ares I crew launcher, since the shuttles are set to retire in 2010 and it is aiming to launch their replacement by 2015. Its design was intended to be cheap and relatively easy, as it was supposed to reuse as much technology from the space shuttle as possible. But that has not been the case, largely beca
