NASA's New Launch Vehicles

NASA has decided that when we next go to the Moon and Mars, we will be employing two new launch vehicles to replace the aging shuttles. Both new launch vehicles will be based on the current space shuttle hardware, whose derivatives will come in two flavours: a heavy cargo lifter, and a vehicle to launch the Crew Exploration Vehicle. The heavy cargo lifter, while resembling a standard rocket launch vehicle, will reuse shuttle engines. The multi-stage lifter will come in a stacked configuration, with the cargo riding on top of successive booster rockets. The other launch vehicle to carry the CEV to orbit will also similarly be multi-staged, but with smaller rockets of different configurations for boosting. This all means that the era of the space plane may be over.