NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Marshall Center plays a key role in developing and maturing technologies applicable to the next generation of space transportation and propulsion systems. Marshall is a developer and integrator of launch systems and a premier developer and integrator of space systems for science and exploration, having the engineering capabilities to take hardware from preliminary design to operation in space and extensive experience in both scientific and human spaceflight.

The Marshall Center is calling on its legacy of space transportation and propulsion development to support the Vision for Space Exploration. Under the leadership of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at Headquarters, Marshall is aligning its programs and people to support missions to the moon, Mars and destinations beyond.

Ares Launch Vehicles

The Ares Project Office at Marshall is responsible for development and overall integration of Ares I, the crew launch vehicle that will transport the Crew Exploration Vehicle into space and deliver un-crewed cargo payloads to space. This includes leading propulsion design, development, systems engineering, full integration of elements, and safety and mission assurance activities.

The Ares Project Office also is responsible for near-term planning and future development of NASA's follow-on heavy-lift cargo launch vehicle and Earth departure stage, needed to leave Earth's orbit to travel to the moon and beyond. Ares V will carry heavy-lift payloads -- from large-scale hardware and materials to food, fresh water and other staples -- to space for use by exploration missions.

Bringing together government, industry and academic partners, Marshall's Space Transportation work supports NASA's goal to make future space transportation safe and reliable -- opening up new frontiers for human and robotic exploration of our solar system and beyond.