CisLunar-1000 is a vision for 1000 people living and working in space 30 years from now. The Moon and the cislunar economy are on the horizon for human development. How do we get there and what do we do once we’re there are the major questions the space industry is asking.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is creating the next generation second stage, ACES, to create this highway to the stars. ULA will provide reliable, affordable, and timely transportation throughout the cislunar economy, enabling science, manufacturing and mining beyond Earth with ACES. ACES builds and improves on a long heritage of high energy upper stages. It will have long duration capability, extended to days or months on orbit. This unique capability will be discussed, including its high mass fraction structural backbone, powerful avionics package, and reliable main propulsion system. This unique combination of hardware and technologies yields lower development cost, risk, and schedule.

Additionally, ULA is a customer for off-Earth derived propellant (oxygen and hydrogen), jumpstarting the market.