Ares V Rocket Gets an Upgrade: It will be Bigger and Stronger for 2020 Moon Mission (

[Fraser]

NASA announced on Wednesday that the original Constellation project's principle rocket, the Ares V, will need to be designed to carry a larger payload for manned missions to the Moon by the year 2020. This means the original concept will need to have a length extension of 20 feet (6 metres) and will need to [...]

More... (http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/26/ares-v-rocket-gets-an-upgrade-it-will-be-bigger-and-stronger-for-2020-moon-mission-video/)

[Swift]

This upgrade will be capable of sending far more instrumentation into space, an extra 15,600 lb (7,000 kg, or the equivalent mass of a male African elephant)…

Why, is there a need to send male African elephants to the moon?
;)

[mike alexander]

If the Russians are planning it first....


Anyhow, that is turning into one big honking rocket.

[publiusr]

That is a nice computer image of Ares V.

Russian HLLVs
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/los.html

"To top it off, Khrunichev drafted a family of giant rockets, with a cargo capacity to low-earth orbit ranging from 45 tons to an incredible 175 tons! "


http://www.russianspaceweb.com/angara100.html

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft.html

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/lunar_base.html