Lockheed Martin's proposed space shuttle replacement

The Lockheed team--consisting of six companies--came up with a CEV in three parts. The titanium crew module holds four to six astronauts and launches separately from the mission module and the propulsion stage. They rendezvous in orbit to create a 70-ft.-long vehicle that weighs just under 40 metric tons.



The team scrapped foam insulation in favor of a redundant Thermal Protection System that includes a backed-up carbon-carbon heat shield. In an emergency, a rescue module designed into the top 22 ft. of the crew module can be fired off at any time. The CEV is not designed to glide upon re-entry like the shuttle; rather, it will be equipped with parachutes and airbags to set down on land or water. Interchangeable computer systems will increase adaptability between modules.


1 Nitrous-oxide mono-propulsion system
2 Float bags
3 Micro-Meteoroid and Orbital Debris protection shield
4 Liquid oxygen long-term storage
5 Supersonic drogue chutes
6 Fuel cell




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