Editor's note: A day before the NASA budget is to be released we are pleased to provide you with a current Ares Projects Plan. Here's a little excerpt:
"The Ares I is a two-stage series-burn launch vehicle with interfaces for the Orion payload and the ground systems at the launch site (see Figure 1-7). The first stage has a RSRMV with thrust vector control (TVC) and a separation system. The motor utilizes polybutadiene acrylonitrile (PBAN) propellant. The upper (second) stage is a self-supporting cylindrical system that houses the LOX and LH2 tanks that feed propellant to the J-2X engine, along with the vehicles avionics, roll control, and the upper stage thrust vector system. Organizationally, the Ares I hardware elements consist of the First Stage (FS) Element, Upper Stage (US) Element, and Upper Stage Engine (USE) Element. These elements are further discussed in Section 1.6, Technical Summary.
The Ares I can lift an estimated 25.5 metric tons (mT) (56,200 pounds (lb)) to LEO at a 30100 nautical mile (nmi) 28.5-degree orbit and 23.7 mT (51,500 lb) at a 51.6-degree orbit (see Figure 1-8). The Ares I is estimated to be as much as 10 times safer than the Space Shuttle, primarily due to its in-line design and launch abort system (LAS) for crew escape. The Ares I system is further described in CxP 72070, Ares I Integrated Vehicle Design Definition Document (IVDDD)."