Constellation-X Spacecraft Configuration
The mission reference configuration for the Constellation-X mission is for single satellite launched by a Atlas V 551 vehicle to an L2 orbit. This single satellite would meet the Constellation-X performace requirements.
The single-satellite Constellation-X configuration
Configuration evolution
A number of configuration changes have been adopted the last two years in order to provide substantial mission cost savings. First, the team re-packaged all telescopes and instruments as specified for the 4-satellite configuration into a single spacecraft onboard a Delta IVH launch vehicle, providing substantial cost savings over the two Atlas V launches that had been the baseline. Second, the team went back to the drawing board on the designs and requirements for the gratings (XGS) and hard X-ray Telescope (HXT) systems. The result was significant mass savings that permit the entire facility to fit one single lighter-weight launch vehicle (the Atlas V). In this way, Constellation-X has been able to protect the science performance of the mission while significantly lowering the mission's cost.
| 2000-2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
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Two Atlas V 551
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Delta IV H
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Atlas V 551
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