Altair-Lander (latest). NASA public domain image colelction.
Summary
JSC2007-E-113280 (Dec. 2007) --- Three crewmembers work in the area of their lunar lander on the lunar surface in this NASA artist's rendering. NASA has selected Altair as the name of the lunar lander the Constellation Program will use to put humans on the moon. Project Altair Manager Lauri Hansen made the announcement at a recent industry event at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Altair will be capable of landing four astronauts on the moon, providing life support and a base for weeklong initial surface exploration missions, and returning the crew to the Orion spacecraft that will bring them home to Earth. Altair will launch aboard an Ares V rocket into low-Earth orbit, where it will rendezvous with the Orion crew vehicle. Please note that this artwork is not precise. NASA currently is seeking input from industry experts and is developing conceptual designs for Altair.