Ares2

Ares II is a historical designation for a planned but ultimately canceled United States Air Force program aimed at developing a heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle. The program was a follow-on to the Ares I rocket, which itself was a component of NASA's Constellation program. While Ares I was intended for crewed missions to the Moon, Ares II was conceived to provide greater payload capacity, potentially for lunar cargo or other heavy space hardware.

The Ares II was envisioned as a significantly larger rocket than Ares I, utilizing a more powerful first stage and an additional upper stage. Detailed studies and preliminary designs were conducted, exploring various configurations and engine technologies. However, the program faced significant challenges, including escalating costs and evolving mission requirements. Ultimately, in 2010, the Constellation program, and consequently the Ares II, was canceled by the Obama administration in favor of a new direction for human spaceflight that focused on asteroid and Mars exploration. The cancellation of Ares II marked the end of a specific trajectory for American heavy-lift launch capabilities at that time.