Does anyone know anything at all about the nasa ares passes?

Yes know all about the nasa ares passes is detailed below. Altair Altair lunar lander Main article: Altair (spacecraft) Altair (formerly known as the Lunar Surface Access Module, LSAM) would have been the main transport vehicle for lunar-bound astronauts. The Altair design was much larger than the Apollo Lunar Module (LM), with almost five times the volume, occupying a total of 1,120 cubic feet (32 m3) compared with the Apollo lander's 235 cubic feet (6.7 m3). It was to stand 32 feet (9.8 m) tall and span 49 feet (15 m) wide from landing gear tip to tip. Like its Apollo LM predecessor, Altair consisted of two parts: an ascent stage which houses the four-person crew; and a descent stage which has the landing legs, the majority of the crew's consumables (oxygen and water), and scientific equipment. Unlike the Apollo LM, Altair would have touched down in the lunar polar regions favored by NASA for future lunar base construction.[16] Altair, like the LM, is not reusable; the ascent stage would be discarded after use. The Altair descent stage was to be powered by four RL-10 rocket engines that are used for the Centaur upper stage used on the Atlas V rocket. Unlike the current RL-10 engines in use, the newer RL-10s would be able to throttle down to as low as 10% rated thrust (the current specifications allow for 20%), thus allowing the use of Altair for both the lunar orbit insertion (LOI) and landing stages of the lunar mission. The ascent stage was to be powered by a single engine, likely a hypergolic engine similar or identical to the main engine of the Orion CSM, using the descent stage as a launchpad and as a platform for future base construction. There was a small possibility that the original plan of using LOX/CH4 – fueled engines on board the Block II (lunar) Orion CSM and Altair ascent stage could come to pass. [edit]Earth Departure Stage Earth Departure Stage Main article: Earth Departure Stage The Earth Departure Stage (EDS) was the main propulsion system that would have sent the Ares V Orion/Altair upper stage from low Earth orbit to the Moon. It was to have been the second liquid stage of the Ares V rocket. The Orion spacecraft would have launched separately on Ares I, and rendezvous and dock with the Ares V EDS/Altair combination, which would have then been configured for the journey to the Moon (known as Earth orbit rendezvous). [edit]Legacies of Apollo and Space Shuttle Main articles: Apollo program and Space Shuttle program NASA would have used the vehicles of the Constellation Program to replace the Space Shuttle.[17] But unlike the X-33 and other programs meant to replace the Shuttle, Constellation reused concepts already learned from the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs.[17] For instance, the shape of the Orion command ship closely resembled the aerodynamic shape of the Apollo Command/Service Module. However, in other respects – such as with the cockpit displays and heatshield – Orion employs new technology.[18] The design of the launch vehicle taking Orion into orbit, the Ares I, was closely based on Apollo designs. It was based on a J-2X engine, a redesigned version of the J-2 engine used in the Saturn family of boosters. In working on the J-2X, NASA engineers visited museums, searched for Apollo-era documentation and consulted with engineers who worked on the Apollo program. "The mechanics of landing on the moon and getting off the moon to a large extent have been solved," said Constellation program manager Jeff Hanley. "That is the legacy that Apollo gave us."[19] Like Apollo, Constellation would have flown a lunar orbit rendezvous mission profile, but unlike Apollo, Constellation would have also employed an Earth orbit rendezvous. The lander, known as Altair, would have been launched separately on the Ares V rocket, a rocket based on both Space Shuttle and Apollo technologies. Orion would have been launched separat Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constellation_program