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| October 30, 2009 | (Use j/k keys to navigate)  Email to a friend  Permalink |
Launch of the Ares I-X
On Wednesday, October 28th, NASA launched its Ares I-X prototype vehicle, the first launch from Kennedy's pads of a vehicle other than the space shuttle since the Apollo Program's Saturn rockets were retired. NASA's Constellation Program's 327-foot-tall rocket produced 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reached a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. The two-minute sub-orbital test flight encountered a few problems along the way, as the launch pad was slightly damaged, a planned stage separation did not go quite according to plan, and a possible parachute failure led to a hard splashdown for its first stage. The Constellation program is under pressure as a recent committee report depicted it as overly expensive. The Obama administration is set to make a decision in the next several months about the near-term direction of U.S. Space Policy. (28 photos total)
Flames shot more than 100 feet high in a successful 5.5-second ground test firing Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008 of a launch abort motor for NASA's next generation spacecraft, the Orion crew exploration vehicle. NASA and the Orion industry team conducted the firing at the Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, facility in Promontory, Utah. (NASA) #
NASA and ATK successfully conducted an Ares I main cluster parachute test at the U.S. Army Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona. The test was conducted on May 20, 2009. It involved three 150-feet diameter parachutes lowering a 41,500-pound test weight to the desert floor. The parachute system will be used to recover the first stage of Ares I. It was also used to recover the first stage of Ares I-X following its test flight. (U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds) #
On Sept. 10, 2009, NASA and industry engineers lit up the Utah sky with the initial full-scale, full-duration test firing of the first stage motor for the Ares I rocket. The 154-foot solid rocket motor produced heat two-thirds the temperature of the sun and its 12-foot-diameter cylinder delivered 3.6 million pounds of thrust. (NASA, Walt Lindblom) #
At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, hardware that will be used in the launch of the Ares I-X rocket is offloaded from a C-5 aircraft. The hardware consists of a precisely machined, full-scale simulator crew module and launch abort system to form the tip of NASA's Ares I-X rocket. (NASA/Jack Pfaller) #
A-3 Test Stand Construction at NASA's Stennis Space Center in in Hancock County, Mississippi. Nine water, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and liquid oxygen (LOX) tanks have been delivered and installed, with five more water tanks scheduled to arrive in upcoming weeks. The two IPA tanks shown on the left and the three LOX tanks shown on the right are 35,000 gallons each. The four water tanks in the center are 39,000 gallons each. All 14 of the tanks will be used by the chemical steam generators units that will be installed on the A-3 stand for creating simulated altitudes of up to 100,000 feet, a testing environment for Constellation, initially to validate the performance of the J2-X engine for the upper stage of the new Ares I launch vehicle. (NASA/SSC) #
In High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Ares I-X upper stage simulator service module/service adapter (left, center) has been installed on a stand. Other segments are placed and stacked on the floor around it. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. (NASA/Kim Shiflett) #
The NASA Railroad hauls cars carrying the Ares I-X motor segments and nozzle exit cone over a river bridge to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The four reusable motor segments and the nozzle exit cone, manufactured by the Ares I first-stage prime contractor Alliant Techsystems Inc., or ATK, departed Utah March 12 on the seven-day, cross-country trip to Florida. (NASA/Kim Shiflett) #
The oxygen vent arm and hood removed from the fixed service structure at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B is ready for transfer from the pad to a storage facility, after the pad was transferred from the Space Shuttle Program to the Constellation Program. The ground operations team is modifying pad B for the Ares I-X rocket launch. Modifications also include installing access platforms and a vehicle stabilization system. (NASA/Jack Pfaller) #
In the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a technician performs propellant grain inspection of the inside of the Ares I-X motor segment. It is one of four reusable motor segments and nozzle exit cone shipped by the Ares I first-stage prime contractor Alliant Techsystems Inc. for final processing and integration in the facility. The booster used for the Ares I-X launch is being modified by adding new forward structures and a fifth segment simulator. (NASA/Jim Grossmann) #
In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4, assembly of the Ares I-X rocket nears completion. The yellow framework, nicknamed the "birdcage," lifts Super Stack 5 toward an opening at the 16th floor crossover into the transfer aisle. The stack will be positioned on top of the segments already in place on the mobile launcher platform in High Bay 3, completing assembly of the 327-foot-tall rocket. Five super stacks make up the rocket's upper stage that is integrated with the four-segment solid rocket booster first stage. (NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis) #
In the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3, a yellow framework, lifts Super Stack 5 atop Super Stack 4. Once in position, assembly of the Ares I-X rocket will be complete. The 327-foot-tall rocket is one of the largest processed in the bay, rivaling the height of the Apollo Program's 364-foot-tall Saturn V. (NASA/Dimitri Gerondidakis) #
Work platforms surround the Ares I-X launch vehicle in the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket has undergone a sway test that simulated conditions the rocket could experience during rollout to Launch Pad 39B, wind conditions at the pad and first-stage ignition. During the test, vibrations are mechanically induced into the rocket by four hydraulic shakers and a sway is manually introduced for lateral motion to measure the vehicle's response. A total of 44 accelerometers are installed on the flight test vehicle that required more than 27,000 feet of cable. (NASA/Kim Shiflett) #
The driver of the crawler-transporter slowly maneuvers the huge vehicle under the mobile launcher platform holding the 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crawler-transporter will carry the rocket on the 4.2-mile journey to Launch Pad 39B. The transfer of the pad from the Space Shuttle Program to the Constellation Program took place May 31. Modifications made to the pad include the removal of shuttle unique subsystems, such as the orbiter access arm and a section of the gaseous oxygen vent arm, along with the installation of three 600-foot lightning towers, access platforms, environmental control systems and a vehicle stabilization system. (NASA/Jack Pfaller) #
NASA's new Ares 1-X test vehicle goes through first stage/upper stage simulator seperation about two minutes after launch Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39-B in Florida on October 28, 2009. After two and a half minutes, the main part of the 327-foot (100-meter) rocket splashed down as planned in the Atlantic Ocean as applause broke out in a relieved and excited NASA control room. (BRUCE WEAVER/AFP/Getty Images) #
More links and information
Live At KSC: Ares I-X Parachutes Fail During Flight - FloridayToday.com 10/29
Ares I-X Flight Test - NASA site
Building an Original - NASA article
Progress on NASA's Constellation - The Big Picture, 2/16/2009
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
The utility and need of these programs has obviously been repeatedly addressed in the comments, but no one has mentioned one very important thing. I teach middle school students in Korea, and the looks of awe and excitement on their faces when I show them pictures of space exploration are tangible. It's amazing. When asked, not one of my students has thought that it's a waste of money. Sure, they're only teenagers, what do they know about budgets, etc., etc.? Maybe they don't understand finance on a national or international scale, but they understand one thing much better than many adults: the priceless sense of wonder and inspiration that these programs help fuel - around the world. As #4 says - this is what it means to be human. And as Hawking has said, this is where the future of humanity lies. Those who gripe about the money are being shortsighted.
1st: the pix are just fab. 2nd: the "money" issue is not as important as some wish it - humanity does many different things, some are scientists, researchers, designers and engineers (some are peacekeepers, negotiators, politicians, caregivers). There's plenty of room, and reason, for each type to pursue their own talents.
Each is worth a thousand words.
Mchl: Your numbers are WAY off in both cases. The government certainly did not give four TRILLION dollars to bail out two companies. And Nasa's combined budget since '58 is at least a thousand times larger than 851 MILLION dollars!
Even so, I totally agree with the point you were trying to make. Using accurate numbers, at 0.6% of the 2008 federal budget, Nasa's funding is not only a bargain, given what we've got in return, it's criminally small. Just look at the percentage of the total budget that NASA has received since '58 (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Budget#Annual_budget.2C_1958-2009). It's been on a steady downward slope ever since it peaked in the 60s. Very sad. :(
still not convinced about the need to explore planets,see if it was greenhouse effect that we learnt about after the exploration,has the thought of greenhouse effect stopped u from using refrigerators,cfcs from fridges deplete the ozone layer at a faster rate,and then there was a recent revelation by a scientist who said that the greenhouse effect maynot be our fault after all,it is caused by changes in the sun,i'm not saying pollution is good,but we neednot research other planets to know our earth is special,the water that you see is sent down from the sky,the plants that we see lush forth from the earth and the birds and beasts that thrive here should be enough to make us understand that our earth is special.if it is about wasting the resources,we are taught not to waste water and to finish off our meals without wasting a morsel,if we do our part,that would do,anyway,i agree that funding on such projects is much better than spending on the futile war.
if only the programs to rid the world of poverty, hunger were launched with this kind of enthusiasm..!!
I am all for space exploration/colonization etc, but chemical rockets are pretty damn primitive. If we want to seriously start looking into commercial space flight, this is not the way to do it.. way too expensive (not to mention the pollution, ugh)
Nice pics, as always.
But I'm fed up wit the freakin whiners! For what NASA spends vs. the defense dept., are you saying the payback hasn't been worth it? What the hell has the defense dept's $500 billion got us? Not a damn thing.
I agree: Let's spend more on education and hunger. But it doesn't need to come out of NASA's paltry pockets. Go whine on a Defense Dept blog.
fantastic pictures, my favourite is pic 23, alligator hunted skyrocket... ;-)
"How many of those rockets would it take in picture 5 to create a slight change in speed in the earths rotation. 3.6 million pounds of thrust per rocket is quite a bit."
Interesting difference in approaching the question between reaction # 47 and # 60. I like it.
Beautiful pictures, nice project!
Post #56 sums it all up - it inspires people! If we can get back to a program that inspires folks to learn and better themselves, and feel proud of this country - its worth every penny. I hope Aries can get the USA back where it should have been in 70's, building on Apollo's work, back to exploring the universe! The Shuttle/Space Station thing was a distraction - let's get back to exploring the stars!
The utility of NASA and all of the technologies we've developed as a result of its programs speaks for itself. But for those of you who still gripe, still moan that the space program pursues some knowledge that provides us with no benefit as a species: have you no sense of wonder? No awe? The moon landing remains humankind's greatest historical moment. We're not cattle. We have aspirations that rise above mere survival.
The idea that NASA's budget is food taken out of the mouths of the starving is bull. It's a false dichotomy (and we already have more than enough to feed all of the starving people of the world -- money has nothing to do with why we haven't). How much do we spend every year on advertising, or Hollywood blockbusters, or fast food? Are ANY of those things necessary? At all? Yet I hear no one griping about a single one of those 'wasted' dollars.
Space exploration, whether human or robotic, is beautiful and inspiring. Most importantly, it has taught us something about our place in the Universe. Wonder and perspective are worth every penny.
Very, very cool. As school children, we gathered in the gym to listen to the radio broadcast of the first manned Mercury launch, another down-range shot. Though this one was unmanned, these pictures triggered deja vu of a capsule on a candle and a return of that sense of pure wonder at the human spirit of adventure. Great photos; a great mission.
@70. Yes, well I'm a physicist by training, so I do tend to assume an Earth with no atmosphere! Ha!
There are other bodies in the solar system in which the arguments of #60 (and #37 before him) don't hold - the Moon, for example.
Also if we just go with this "well it's a closed system so nothing will happen so why bother figuring it out," we don't get to see the staggeringly minuscule impact such activities would have even under the most favorable conditions.
Lastly, I would think that the thrust of 5.95 million trillion rockets would probably have some non trivial effect on the atmosphere itself, at least in the general vicinity of such a collection, were one to be assembled. The impact may be diminished, but I doubt it would be eliminated.
I agree with @61
A Waste of money.
For you budget crybabies, as you did not do your homework before showing your ignorance here is a "short list" of things used around your home that you (and your society) should give up as they are spinoffs of NASA technology: Solar Water Heaters; Reflective Insulation; Plastics and Graphite used in sports and safety equipment; wireless networks; better software; quartz timing equipment; electric power factor controllers; bacteriostatic water softeners; temper foam and thermal bedding improvements; technologies for artificial limbs, diabetics, P.I.M.S, and heart pumps; improved footwear, sports bra; phase change clothing insulation; toothpaste, infrared thermometers, cosmetics , and perfumes, memory metal alloys, environmentally safe sewage treatment; home security systems; flat screen and projection TVs, audio equipment, LED’s, batteries , and flexible circuits for watches, pagers, phones and calulators; enriched baby food; work surface light bulbs; water purification; trash compacting; bulb misers; portable cordless vacuums; fail-safe flashlights; refrigerator internet connected wall ovens; The FDA/USDA Standard Food Safety System for the U.S. Food Processing Control; Next Generation barcoding; food packaging and freeze dried technology; cordless power tools; coolers; M.E.M.S. Technologies in Washer/dryers and airbags; early warning weather observation technology; satellite transmission; and more. The advances in medical technology resulting from NASA research may be keeping you or a loved one alive today, so think before you spout off.
NASA is populated by 'okay' scientists and expert political hacks. Private industry could do a better job than NASA these days, and we should let that happen. Having worked with NASA for many years, I would prefer my tax dollars be directed at other pressing large scale needs.
Great photos though.
This Earth isnt meant to last forever unless God wants it to. Get that into your thick skulls. Also, explration in any setting is what streches the mind to do wonderful new thins. Fighting hunger included. Education without application is useless just like reading God's Holy Work, The Bible. You can say God is Holy and perfect but if you don't apply it to your life, it is useless. I believe without any fault that God loves a exploring heart and mind as long as it isn't eveil. Then God will crush that mind and heart b/c He won't support you and watch you fail. NASA is such a good example of the human spirit in most of us. Hunger and poverty will ALWAYS be amoung us and exploration will and has taught us many things to increase the quality of life. The urge to see what is beyond us is something that is inside us all. The uneducated will ALWAYS be amoung us as well, so set an example by building and giving the credit to the desire for education. Not good at MATH, get good by practicing it and open your mind to logic. Not good something, just challenge yourself and discover that you may be better than you think. GO USA!! GO NASA GO !!
To those questioning the need for planetary exploration:
ALL life on Earth is doomed. Not because of mankind's activities but by the very simple fact that our Sun, in its stellar evolution, will progressively get hotter and eventually swell up into a red giant. Even before the red giant phase that will expand the Sun to Earth's orbit and potentially consume our planet altogether, it will get hot enough to vaporize all water on the planet. This is an inevitable event.
The ONLY way ANY life on Earth will survive is by building a spaceship equivalent of a Noah's ark and relocating everything to another planet. The only way to be successful at that is to continue planetary exploration. Despite our scientific advances, it currently takes years of preparation to put three people on the Moon for a couple of days. We have a long way to go before we can relocate six billion and the wildlife.
From a liberal/progressive, socially concious, evironmentally sensitive baby boomer.....GO NASA !
And how many people are employed by NASA and contribute to the economy with these efforts? 100,000 or so? 200,000 or so peripherally?
GO NASA !
How much of this is fueling our scientific explorations in how many other fields?
GO NASA !
How cool IS this?
GO NASA !
We've a little bit of time before that happens, fortunately. The short-term value is the economic boost we'll get from technological innovation, and whether you like 'em or not, NASA is still a player in that game.
Wouldn't it be much cheaper to use the very reliable Russian rocket? I heard the Russians only charge U$35 million for each trip. It is far more cost effective to out source space transportation and focus on other areas. Just my 0.02c...
#79 is interesting
but i think that day when the life on the earth would be doomed would be the Last day,we are made of earth and unto earth do we return when we die,after all these explorations have these people been able to find any signs of life on these planets,leave aside the myths,preserve our earth first,then explore other planets.
To everyone who thinks we spend too much money on space exploration and should give to the starving kids in Africa, well, I'd advise you to look up the exact numbers for world wide budgets on Aerospace developments and compare them to the defense budget (what a delightful euphemism) of just a few western powers combined.
And then think.
makeitmeaningful, the NASA 2009 budget is US$18 Billion.
How much did Bush's "See how big my penis is!" vanity war in Iraq cost in lives and money?
How about directing your concern towords those who who have wasted all that money and al those lives for absolutely nothing in return.
Fantastic, how far we have come from 1909 just a few years after the first cars (henry ford) and the first airplanes (wright brothers). Wonder what the next decade has in store for all ? ? ?
Who ever said that NASA is so bad? The problem lies in searching for things that don't matter at this time. Do we really need to find life on another planet right now? Because of these "awful" bailouts, I was able to keep the money that I've earned over the past couple years. Is that such a bad thing? It helped people. Finding bacteria on Mars doesn't.
I was flying over Orlando at 39,000' in the corporate Learjet that I fly, and took some great photos. From the time it left the ground to the time it came thru my altitude was about 10 seconds. Very Cool. let me know if you want a pic.
N602AS@yahoo.com
My father worked on missiles (like the Atlas that orbited John Glenn). That program cost the taxpayers a good chunk of money. Some of that money paid my dad's salary that paid our rent and bought food and clothes for us. Interest in the space program led me to college where I majored in science (geology) while I worked part time jobs to get me through. After working in the industry (such as mining) I later became a science teacher teaching 8th -12th graders and volunteering to run an after school rocket club.
I recently retired and am currently volunteering my time working on an amateur project to design, construct and launch our own rocket into space. I also volunteer on a search and rescue team, donate blood regularly and have to pay taxes on my retirement.
The money for the space program goes to pay people's wages or to buy things that in turn pay people for making those things. It's not money down the drain and it certainly isn't a government give away like so many other things are. It's too bad that when we pay our taxes that there isn't a box where you can select where you want 10% of your taxes to go and let our "representatives" decide how to waste the other 90%.
NASA you still rock. Rocketmen and RocketWomen are the bomb!
.
This is not a waste of money if you care about continuing the advance tehcnology, culture, science, not to mention medicine, and the future of humanity when the sun burns out.
Of course, if you think the world is flat, that the Universe is 6,000 years old and that ignorance is bliss, I suppose I can understand your point.
Computers, medicine, science, technology, communications, and a general good will amongst people of other nations who admire NASA and its efforts, are all positive effects.
Take the money people pay for illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco and pay for world hunger and clean water and no one would be hungry and we'd all be more healthy.
Well done NASA. This type of research doesn't get enough funding and emphasis. Bush wasted so much money in Iraq and they could have spent it on worthwhile research and discovered something instead of blowing stuff up and killing people. I hope Obama understands the importance of space exploration and funds it appropriately.
It's great and all but how about we fix what is wrong on this planet first!!!
Curiosity is the mother of all inventions. We have taken a quantum leap since space exploration started. The mode of learning, application, reflection in many facets of our life is changing for the better when we focus on God given talents to focus on betterment of this world. The begining of corporation in space exploration among nations and sharing its benefits is a sign towards we are one humanity. The outcome is positive so lets support and give praise unto God.
i havenot words to express it
Possibly the best photo set I've seen here. Inspiring!
this is Great Pictuure
For all you Bush bashers, get a life. All of what you saw in those pictures and this launch was from the Bush administration (look up "Vision for Space Exploration") from a speech in Jan 2004. If there was a problem with being in Afghanistan and Iraq, why is Obama still there after all these months? Why do we still have troops in the Bosnia when then President Clinton said they would all be home by Christmas? Obama will stay in Afghanistan and expand in Pakistan and claim victory is he wins or blame Bush if he loses.
House Democrat leaders would like nothing more than to make cuts in NASA's budget and jobs for Americans and give it to fighting Global HIV/Aids. I for one would like to see my tax money go for the space program.
THE COLD HARD FACT: NASA returns the largest percentage of financial gain per dollar of capital investment of any organization (private or public) in the world. It does this with a great margin. Other nations entering into financial maturity are following the lead of NASA by developing their own space programs. Take a look at Canada, Japan, China, and most of Europe. They are all working on developing space.
THE REASON: SPACE PAYS!
#26 ... isn't that a sonic boom?
#87 is exactly what i want to say.
I have seen the space shuttle land with its passengers but how are they
supposed to come back with this type of vdhicle??????
People say American children aren't doing well in math and science. Probably a good majority of those that do find NASA a great inspiration. Don' t take that away.
looks more like a croc than a gator
@Roy M:
The usual approach is to have the capsule plummet into Earth's atmosphere and land safely (for the crew, at least) with parachutes :)
The Apollo missions landed in the sea, for example.
Here is how the Soyuz TMA spacecraft do it:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/soyuz/landing.html
Yep, not nearly as elegant. (The shuttles may be finicky, but the way that so much of them is reusable is a real triumph). Still, (*sigh*), it works.
Great. Congrats! Keep doing the work NASA.
O kurwa !!
Roy, the capsule will land under parachute on land, or possibly water. This is how the Russians do it, and how the US used to do it before the shuttle.
@100 no it's a pressure singularity caused at transonic speeds. It is related to a sonic boom, but it's not the same. Universe Today has some info on it.
@budget complainerners
Do you think they get billions of dollars worth of gold and send it up ?
Except for the metals and fuel, all of the money stays on Earth. The money is spent in your communities. It keeps universities and technical companies going.- it keeps technologies improving - these are smart people who improve solar cell efficiency and electronics reliability, etc.
@ 104... no crocs in north Florida, deff a young gator probably only 3-4ft in length
@100 no it's a pressure singularity caused at transonic speeds. It is related to a sonic boom, but it's not the same. Universe Today has some info on it.
@budget complainerners
Do you think they get billions of dollars worth of gold and send it up ?
Except for the metals and fuel, all of the money stays on Earth. The money is spent in your communities. It keeps universities and technical companies going.- it keeps technologies improving - these are smart people who improve solar cell efficiency and electronics reliability, etc.
keep reaching for the stars! you have my total supportif i could find a job at nasa i would be there in a heart beat, do you need a good diver? everything you guys do benifits mankind.
the sun's hydrogen is actually not eternal.. it's burning up like the fuel in your car's tank and when i'ts died out in about 5 billion years.. you'll thank Nasa then for saving the entire human race that has long gone left earth to another planet...
pic 23, crocodil - best Ares-I...
"don't you think we are directing a little toomuch money for this space research which is taking us nowhere,and tending to set aside the bigger world crises like education of the poor children,solving the world hunger and improve our econmy which is plummetting at a fast rate?"
REALLY?? you have done no research into the achievements in science and the technologies of mankind. Your statement is ignorant and biased. there are plenty of other areas of our society that we are far more overspending in. spell check too buddy. you are clearly in the minority as the government that you so loyally uphold has decided to put so much money towards NASA. Simply put, we spend money on these projects because they are f*cking important.
For those who are skeptical about planet exploration, there are better explanation, but here is my additional thought.
One of the fundamental question in science is if we are alone. That's why they are so crazy about signs of life. Even if we don't get answers for this, wouldn't it be nice to know our neighbor planets? We do the same thing in a small scale all the times. Get to know about our neighbors... Find another restaurant... Go to Grand Canyon and see how it look... There are even people who risk their lives (priceless) exploring something.
niezle foty!!
stupendous exhibition of power!
viva europaaaaa and arianaaaaaaaaaa
In the sixties NASA spent millions of dollars on research to find a pen that could write in 0 gravity, upwards and downwards.
Russians used a pencil.
Americans once again have fallen into self-indulgence to go blind with his media success and they do not see field profitability that other countries have shown over the last decades.
Not to mention the mistakes loses caused by the use of imperial units that caused millions losing in mars "approaching"..
Better leave others play with this technology and invest in public healthcare.
i agree that God loves the exploring mind,but i feel there are somany wonderful things here on the earth,which we could explore and learn from.the sight of a group of ants,so hardworking,they work hard in the summer and in the winter,they use up what they have store,the birds which soar up in the sky should make us dream,to rise above and to inspire,there are somany colors,somany smells,somany sights that give us infinite pleasure,i feel i find more pleasure in looking up at the stars than knowing that man landed on the moon,again i'm not against space exploration,i'm not against nasa,but just not planet research.
@53: "I'm still kind of hesitant about strapping humans to a solid rocket stage. Seems rather dangerous. I hope the escape system is well engineered in case of failure."
Not to make you any more uneasy or anything, but the launch escape system is also a solid rocket motor built by ATK. ;-)
Actually, that's hard to avoid; every LES rocket ever built (including those on Soyuz and Shenzhou) has been solid prop. It's the most practical rocket for the application. And one crew actually got to ride one! The Soyuz 10A crew used their LES to escape a pad explosion. The ride was said to be unpleasant, but they survived without major injury, so it did its job.
I Love all the NASA photos that were taken from Begining till launch. and I saw the Launch from Port St. John, Fl. It was awesome. The Launch was 100 % sucess, How about the Chutes why did they not deploy correctly, causing a huge DENT on one of the section of the Rocket.
Also will the top Astronaut section of the Rocket ever be tested for public view or will It work as Is? Thank-you so much Keep up the good work!
Regards;
@119,
Is that the best you can do? Your "space pen" story isn't even true, the real story is that the free market can often solve problems better than governments.
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp
The Ares I and Ares V will do things that the Russian Soyuz rockets can't so it's not like we're just duplicating effort.
I agree on the Mars Climate Orbiter crash, but it was Lockheed Martin's mistake, NASA has been all metric for years.
I shouldn't even have to mention that NASA's budget is a drop in the bucket compared to healthcare. We loose over THREE TIMES NASA's budget every year to Medicare Fraud alone.
Our current "one term" president will undoubtedly slow the progress of US space efforts, but a better, wiser leader will take his place and we'll get back on track, eventually.
"61.Absolute waste of money
Posted by Jim Johnson October 30, 09 10:44 PM"
Jim I just want to say mate, your using a computer, on the internet, to talk about a spaceship launch that may even been over 100 miles away from you.
I’m currently on the other side of the planet.
There is no waste in space technological investment - the benefits will enrich other aspects of technology - benefiting us all.
Rock on you crazy NASA dudes !
Oh goodness, hippies. Pollution, spending, whah whah whah...Get a job, inflate the tires on your mountain bike, and strap on your Tevas because America is going to kick butt in the space race again. The war in Iraq could fund the space program for a decade with what is spent in a day. And the pollution? C'mon...Do a little research. Rocket fuel burns cleaner than petrol and diesel.
It's truly astonishing the lack of basic scientific knowledge on display here. Some of the folks don't even seem aware of how our lives are different, and better, as a direct result of the space program.
But more shocking is the idea that this seems like a waste of time. Pure research always has the possibility of paying off in the future, either by providing insight into old problems or with a Eureka moment.
Would these people have told Frederick de Moleyns to pack it in when he invented the light bulb? Probably.
no,does the planet exploration benefit us here on the earth other than just guessing that life could have existed there,if then ,i'm for planet research.
These pictures are great. It's such a shame that we don't invest more money into this kind of scientific research/production. But when so much money goes to the defense budget, well, that's where the work is going to be done... I've always wondered why if we are going to engage in deficiet spending at such an astronomical level, why we don't go into debt for something useful (as many have pointed out the research behind space exploration has generated a massive return on the investment) instead of propping up idiotically crooked banks.
I love science :)
I work at KSC and learn something new every day.
The biggest single creator of prosperity is the advancement of science and technology.
The space program is extremely effective at inspiring young people to pursue education and careers in science and technology.
For long term economic growth, for long term health of the planet, for long term viability of the human race, the space program provides excellent return on investment.
Could NASA do a better job of picking programs? Probably. Anything can be done better. I wouldn't mind seeing more money go into space-based mining, space-based energy production and defense against meteors and solar flares. That may be wiser than landing on Mars, but then it's not nearly so inspiring.
Should we spend more on NASA? Absolutely.
The long term benefits are enormous.
The investment in additional aerospace research and engineering is important and has great potential in the development of new technology for all mankind. President Obama please continue to upport the Space/NASa
program.
To the flat-earth Luddites who feel this is a waste of money: I vehemently disagree. When you compare this to the give-aways to Wall $treet, which you probably support, I have to wonder. As others have noted, the very act of designing and producing this rocket created high paying jobs for engineers, scientists and skilled labor. This in turn helps our economy.
By contrast, money given the Wall $treet banks has only made wealthy people more so, and the banks have been hoarding the money rather than invigorating the economy with new loans.
While I would love to see private sector rockets take over what NASA is doing, we have yet to see a private sector contractor reliably launch rockets. It's not as easy as it looks. That day will likely come, but it hasn't yet.
For a first test, this was highly successful. The glitches were relatively minor. More testing needs to be done and should be done. Oh, and to you tree huggers worried about pollution from this rocket, look at the composition of its fuel. In all, while this appears to be spectacularly polluting, compare this to what any modern city emits every day. Rockets have launched satellites, which in turn have given us tremendous scientific understanding of our atmosphere, and thus, about pollution. The benefits far outweigh any costs of doing so.
I find it fascinating that the most ardent supporters of the testing were students in South Korea. That should tell you something. That Congress is so stingy with this, yet so willing to print trillions of dollars in inflationary give-aways to banks and other non-deserving recipients shows just how bizarre the priorities of those running Congress really are. The waste of poor governance would easily cover the cost of a scientific program such as this, and then some.
There's more beauty here on Earth than could ever fatigue the spirit of a thinking feeling being. Were it not for the presence of human insanity and senselessness, a life would never find one's curiosity and desire to learn enfamined and seeking extraplanetary experience.
Humanity's challenge is to succeed at harmony here on the exquisite gift of this island Earth.
There is no place within our reach that we can escape this lesson...as much as we would fantasize and labor to the contrary...
OMG...the pollution from these combustion is worst than 3rd world countries......
I'd sure hope NASA is doing something and at least start a very thorough environment impact analysis...:(
Good
As a spacenik from the very first launch of Sputnik 50 years ago, I simply say thank God (if you believe in same) for the original "space race".
If it weren't for that then we wouldn't be looking at an Ares rocket taking off in 2009.
The destiny of the human race - and my descendants - is directly linked to space exploration.
Pencils are not meant to be used in space, the fragments of lead can break off and interfere with the equipment. The irony was that a normal ball point will do the trick. Learnding, not just for the foriegners!
I currently work at Kennedy Space Center, and I cannot think of a better use of government money. It is being used to employ (and feed/house the families of) thousands upon thousands of intelligent people. The jobs created by the space center (which extends well beyond the actual number of NASA employees) are jobs that would be very difficult to replace in nearly any other field. The fact that we are inspiring the youth, creating innumerous spinoff technologies, advancing science, promoting intelligent inquiry about our existence, and maintaining a necessary national defense system- these are all just cherries on top.
I think in general NASA has provided a positive return on investment. Like all companies they also need to occasionally look up and ask "What is it we're doing again?"
Let's provide NASA with a reasonable budget, and a well thought out list of priorities. Witnessing people that are inspired is terribly infectious.
WOW AMAZING! Go ATK!
So long as there are humans on this planet, there will be things wrong with this planet.
All of those whining that we should be fixing this planet, are you prepared to commit suicide for our planet? How about your family?
We are all incredibly destructive and don't lend very much if anything to ecosystems as a species.
Awesome
Excelleny pics as usual :)
Obama administration needs to prioritize on recovering the economy and to keep our jobs in the country.......not to mention the dwindling healthcare system.
I wish I can share the same passion knowing I've got a family to feed and a mortgage to pay.
Can anybody tell me, why they named this rocket after the ancient greeks god of war?
I visited the Space center the day Ares was rolled out to the pad. Could still see the crawler tracks in the gravel. I had an up close pass but since Ares was on one pad and Atlantis on the other I had to make do with being 1 1/2 miles away at the observation gantry.
I had dinner with Cdr Jerry Carr of the Skylab4 mission. He showed great enthusiasm for the Constellation programme.
Although still in the feasibilty study stage I can't wait to see Ares V launch. I will definitely be in Florida for that launch too.
Olaf, yes, the name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares. In roman mythology, the same is called Mars. NASA wanted to be clever and go to the planet Mars on the rocket named Ares. If we had chosen the name of the 4th planet to be Ares, then NASA would have called the rocket Mars. It's destiny . . .
I am argentina...I think that the picture are amazing ..but I dont like the polution.
Cuidemos nuestro mundo..gastemos dinero en cosas y personas que necesitan cosas importantes,
Un saludo fraterno
oaz para todos
to #78 and other who think that "private" industry could do a better job...
1) Who do you think it is who is building these rockets? Yes NASA oversees the project, but ATK, Lockheed Martin and the thousands of subcontractors working that are doing the majority of the work on the Constellation Program are for profit companies. They are the "private" industry.
2) There is no way any single company has the bandwidth to take on a project that is as complicated as Orion / Constellation.
3) Any other "private" company who thinks they have a chance of competing or offering "significant" cost savings, has absolutely no idea of the magnitude of the requirements. Orion is the first interplanetary spacecraft. It's just a tad bit more complicated than building a tin can that can get you to the edge of the atmosphere.
VERY GOOD
Better than throwing money away at a war that can't be won, the "War on Poverty".
We should start caring about that which matters such as space exploration, science and technology, rather that wasting it on trinkets for the underclasses who WILL ALWAYS suckle the public tit for their meager and meaningless existences.
Look at your hands; they were made to reach. We are greater than what we do, but what we are can only be seen in what we do.
# 73, Jo, sums it all up. Peroid.
# 86, please refer to # 90.
ziet er goed uit indrukwekkend als je zo die foto"s ziet
maar als we er maar ook iets wijzer van worden
anders is het wel zonde van al dat geld
Two separate things:
1) NASA needs ARES because Shuttle has hideously expensive launches ($1500MM) and reliability problems. Shuttle has a ridiculously heavy 'reusable'. We learned a lot from the Shuttle, but we have been unable to make it safe enough. FWIW, the $13MM/launch unmanned Russian 'Proton' rockets are lifting MUCH less stuff. Their $56MM/launch 'Soyuz' is for launching 2-3 people. This Ares test was a pricey test, but it should drop per-launch manned launches close to the Russian costs.
2) I agree that we should use private-launches (that is kind-of what the Russians are to us). Falcon 9 is a 100% private rocket that could be flying soon. Its development is 'behind' Ares, though. We shouldn't confuse the difference between unmanned and manned rocket systems, though.
On the Pollution front. The liquid fuel is cryogenic liquid Hydrogen and cryogenic liquid Oxygen. The 'pollution' is water (no carbon footprint, at all). The solid rockets (ARES is novel in that it uses ONLY solid boosters at takeoff) is APCP, with liquid rockets after the solid-boosters finish. The primary 'pollution' is Aluminum (no carbon footprint, at all). NASA is hoping that its move to solid boosters will cheapen the cost of producing high-quality boosters.
Third world countries certainly product much more pollution than this (or whatever was intended by that reference).
The "space race" was politically important during the "cold war" when we had to prove to Russia that we could piss further than they could. We have
learned about all we can at this point. Our nation is in an economic "CRISIS", our military is spent due to years of fighting an unwinable war (especially Afganistan) we spend billions on rebuilding the
nations we go to war with and now WWIII is about to start with regards to
Isreal, Iran, the USA and the Middle East. Lets put the money and our priorities in the correct places and build a stronger military base, put
Americans to work and play "Space Cadet" some time in the future.
Al Weir