Debalic wrote:
Looking at some of the pages on the Area-1 rocket, I was pretty amazed to see just how tiny the current shuttle is, in comparison to other craft.
I assume you saw something like:
http://chapters.marssociety.org/usa/oh/marscovn2007/ARES-comparison.jpg
The difference is that the fuel for the space shuttle is in a large tank behind the shuttle instead of under it.
Unlike the shuttle where crew and a very small payload were launched together, in the new program (constellation) the ares 1-x will carry the people and the ares-5 will carry a very large (greater then the Saturn-V) payload.
From wikipedia:
"Ares V will have a maximum payload capacity of about 188 tonnes (414,000 lb) to Low Earth orbit (LEO), compared to the Space Shuttle's capacity of 24.4 tonnes, and the Saturn V's 118 tonnes. "