Crew Exploration Vehicle

The Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) is NASA's proposed series of human spaceflight spacecraft, intended to replace the space shuttle system. The project to develop and test the CEV is Project Constellation.

Design

As of 2004, NASA has not made any design decisions. However, it is likely that the CEV will follow the module and capsule design principles used in the Apollo, Gemini, Soyuz and Shenzhou systems, instead of the reusable spaceplane design principle used in the space shuttle system. The CEV will launch on an expendable launch system and carry crew to low Earth orbit, the moon, Mars, and other destinations.

According to press reports in printed in July 2004, NASA hopes to get an RFP (request for proposal) out by January 2005, on the CEV (crew exploration vehicle). NASA then plans to have an earth orbit fly-off between two teams' (Boeing? and Lockheed?) CEV designs in 2008.

One of the main goals of the new CEV are lunar expeditions.

NASA will choose two main contractor teams for the flyoff. Each team will have a complete design for the CEV and its launch vehicle. The teams will also have to develop a plan for their CEV to take part in the assembly of a lunar expedition in earth orbit.

Each contractor-led team will include subcontractors that will provide the lunar expedition astronauts with equipment, life support, rocket engines and onboard navigation systems. In the Earth orbit fly-offs, one complete CEV lunar mission design will compete against the other. NASA will choose the winner to build the final ships.

Reusability is a valuable component, but initially not essential. The main choice will be what makes the most sense in designing the 21st century lunar craft.

Fly-offs are used by the U.S. Air Force to select military aircraft, this will be the first time that NASA has used this approach in awarding contracts.

NASA planners are focusing on a three-part plan for a return to the moon they call trade studies.

NASA plans to have the winner of the fly-off winner design the CEV ships in a series of "spirals," or complete designs with spacecraft systems and subsystems:

• Spiral One: Early CEV capable of carrying crews into orbit for test flights.

• Spiral Two: Early Lunar expedition spacecraft, capable of staying on the moon from several days to a week.

• Spiral Three: Mature Lunar expedition spacecraft, capable of extending human presence on the moon for up to three months. This would establish an initial lunar base.

NASA is also looking into building rockets with nuclear propulsion. This will not be part of the initial phase of building the Crew Exploration Vehicle.

NASA hopes to follow this schedule in development of the CEV:

• 2008 - The first prototype CEV is to be launched with a candidate launch vehicle. Two contractor teams will also test their designs for lunar vehicle and launch vehicles.
• 2008 - 3rd Quarter - NASA plans to select the final design for the lunar spacecraft and its mission mode.
• 2014 - First uncrewed flight of winning lunar spacecraft design.
• 2015 - First crewed flight of lunar spacecraft.
• 2015 - 2020 - First moon landing by astronauts in lunar spacecraft.

Origin

The proposal to create the CEV is partly a reaction to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board report and the White House's review of the American space program.

The CEV replaces the Orbital Space Plane (OSP) program.

On January 14, 2004, President George W. Bush announced the CEV as part of the Vision for Space Exploration:

"Our second goal is to develop and test a new spacecraft, the Crew Exploration Vehicle, by 2008, and to conduct the first manned mission no later than 2014. The Crew Exploration Vehicle will be capable of ferrying astronauts and scientists to the Space Station after the shuttle is retired. But the main purpose of this spacecraft will be to carry astronauts beyond our orbit to other worlds. This will be the first spacecraft of its kind since the Apollo Command Module."

Funding

President Bush's budget request for Financial Year 2005 includes: "$428 million for Project Constellation ($6.6 billion over five years) to develop a new crew exploration vehicle." The President's budget request has not been through the budget process.

See also