Large aperture telescopes for launch with the Ares V launch vehicle

Abstract: The Ares V Cargo launch vehicle that is being designed by NASA for the Constellation Program, with its 10m diameter fairing and ability to place 130,000kg in low earth orbit, will enable telescopes with apertures much larger than the 6.5m of the James Webb Space Telescope to be placed in orbit. In this paper we revisit our designs for large aperture telescopes that could be launched with today''s expendable launch vehicles and show what aperture sizes would be enabled by the Ares V. Our assessment includes both monolithic and autonomously deployed telescopes, as well as those which could be assembled on orbit. We also address the requirements these payloads might impose on the Ares V design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]