Ares 1-X Rocket Test Flight Launch

[mainstreetgse]

******** IF you disagree with the owner of this video, they delete your comment and block your account access ********

Constellation will end up like Shuttle, a welfare program for government jobs. This rocket is very problematic and is far less capable than its private counterpart the Falcon9. Ares1 would be a big mistake and needlessly waste taxpayer money because we already have a better system with Falcon9 that actually works.

[kureselisinis]

oo-ooh i got a rocket

oo-ooh you're going on it

oo-ooh you're never coming back

[ti994apc]

@40390576

From what I have read, the initial explosion is survivable on both liquid and solid explosions. The problem is the parachute. Liquid explosions you get away with being a 1-2 hundred yards away and the fuel vaporizes in seconds. Like when Soyuz safely ejected on the pad. Solid fuel, its best to be at least 5 miles away (see youtube delta II explosion and you will see what I am talking about). Molten shunks of fuel will destroy a chute as it rains down.

[ti994apc]

@40390576

Yes I agree, Saturn V had a higher chance of exploding 'catastrophically". I have heard that if any one of its main engines had failed it would have been catastrophic. However, if Saturn V had exploded (or any liquid fueled rocket) the rocket stops and their is a fireball. The escape system has to pull away from a stopped vehicle. Ares is different, it has to pull away from moving projectiles because of solid fuel. Thus, the escape system must be bigger, heavier, etc.

[geomodelrailroader]

test 3 Ares X take to the skies but a problem with torn parachutes had Obama tell them to start from scratch.

[ti994apc]

Ares has to have a BIG GIANT HEAVY escape system that works WHILE ITS RUNNING because of NASA's hard headed decision to use solid rocket fuel which CAN NOT BE TURNED OFF !!!. This is why Ares 1 has to be SO BIG (bigger than Saturn 1B) just to lift the excape system and why its so expensive "1 Billion" a launch. I hope the American Tax payers wise up and say NO to Ares1.

[kabreu54]

@ti994apc

You are smoking dope. Ares 1 doesn't come close to Saturn 1B. Agree with the need to find alternate launch, but, not for the exagerated claims in your reply.

[ti994apc]

@kabreu54 What are you talking about? I would do your research next time before you reply. Saturn 1B is "224 ft tall." Ares1 is a staggering "308 ft" tall ** 1/3rd taller than Saturn 1B.

[mainstreetgse]

@kabreu54 your smoking dope, do your homework before commenting. Ares1 is almost the size of Saturn5 and is much taller than Saturn 1b. 

[bumbleyou]

there should be man living on the moon

[youvebeenthunderstru]

We might have the funding for the program if we stop funding wars.

[jazzpsalti]

anyone have just the footage from the rocket? I want to see the transition into space

[Mardasee]

During the apollo program those launches would shake the floor and walls with the console TV that my family had. Well today we got good video communications so it's going to be neat to see this new space craft fly.

[Zoomer30]

Here is the launch sch as of now

Ares 1x oct 2009

Ares 1y 2012

Ares I (first crewed flight) 2015(?)

Ares V-x 2017 or so

[RCvolunteer1978]

there was no one on broad and it gave me a sick feeling when I saw the CREW section just fall away as if it was a felled launch

[Mikevdog]

Go astronauts go!

[KingBeowulf]

All I know is that we appear to be moving backward instead of forward with the space program. This is too much like sticking "space camper" on top of one of the solid rocket boosters.

I was at the Apollo 11 launch and in over 40 years THIS is what we come up with?!

How did we get to the moon in a decade with 1960's tech, but can't beat that now?

Why did we just give up on the VentureStar?

If the shuttle has to be retired within 2 years, why will it take 5 to "man" this new Walmart crap?

[TRMeson]

We have bery little technology that lets us completely leave Earth. The shuttle an only reach low orbit. To reach the moon and beyond, we only have "Apollo" style rockets. This mission is there to prove that we still got it. So, we can move forward.

[oswego22]

thats simply not true -

Ion engines currently in development (VASIMR) might realistically enable us to reach Mars in just 37 days.

[dechm4af]

the next launch is going to be in 2017!!!!!  WTF!?!?

[oswego22]

Not sure why this comment has got a negative response.

No one needs further clarification on why solid rocket boosters are unreliable.

A firework with a command module on top, no control over the booster once ignited -unfortunately this smacks of economy over safety - but this is the reality of running a space agency on a tight budget I imagine.

A great shame.

Hopefully in the non flight downtime over the coming years NASA will assess the viability of VASIMR as a means to get to Mars

[dks13827]

The SRB is the most reliable booster ever made, that is why they chose it. The separation is not at all like it would be with a real second stage.

[toyrocketastronaut]

@KingBeowulf Spot on, our space program has decayed since Apollo, we are now 40 years behind where we should be.

Back when I was a teenager, we had a name for cars built the way this Ares rocket is put together, that name was "Jalopy".

[jdhiner1]

Sad thing is this thing will never fly again it will be cancelled by Obama instead they will use commercial rockets I guarantee it.

[URProductions]

If Obama cancels the program, I'll have his ass on a platter. He had better step up that sonofabitch.

[onfootphoto]

It's got nothing to do with a rocket to the moon. With N korea and Iran testing missiles and flexing, the US had to show that they still got the best shit and don't be fuckin around. Does no one noticed the shape of Ares. Looks exactly like a dart, get the point.

[A86]

This rocket has been in the planning for years. It has little or nothing to do with Iran or North Korea. It's the launch vehicle for the Orion command/service module that will transport astronauts to the moon. The Ares has no weapons warhead and it's too powerful for launching intercontinental bombs. It would just launch them into orbit instead of drop them over another country.

This flight was to test the craft and prove to Pres. Obama that it works.

[geomodelrailroader]

@A86 lol my uncle spent 2 years building this thing and all the hard-work payed off. but too bad NASA gave it torn parachutes.

[IWannabeJew]

Does that make you horny baby?

[dobberdoss]

When the hell will humans move on from this ancient technology? Rockets are so fucking inefficient and cumbersome. We MUST concentrate on the harness of the sub atomic particle

[Zoomer30]

I lot of the stuff on this test will ONLY be used for this test. The roll control system is an off the shelf item that was originally used on the MX "Peacekeeper" ICBM. The USS of course is fake, just weight.

From looking at the vid you can see the rear sep motors fire but nothing near the stage interface. So when the "tumble" motor fired it messed up the USS also.

No bigger, back in the 60s it was not uncommon for new rocket designs to just blow up on the pad :) So a good test.

[Zoomer30]

I have seen a full video with no breakup in the video right after sep, nothing happens, just shows the SRB and the USS going down.

The main test was to get vibration data, flight data, that kinda stuff. The sep was not really expected to be like the real one will be. In the real on the 2nd stage will have "posigrade motors" that will kick the 2nd stage up a bit and also help settle the fuel before the J2X fires.

Something tells me they may need an interstage like on the SatV.

[danschaoticmind]

Official word is that one of the LSCs failed to fire on time. However the result was that the added aerodynamic forces of the SRB trying to maneuver while the two stages were separating caused a minor impact resulting in the chutes not deploying properly.

Otherwise, this mission was a resounding success. I hope they improve upon the timing. These kinds of errors happen though.

[TheApana]

Its amazing, and this rocket is almost twice the size of the space shuttle lol...

[delhome60321]

This was a failed launch. If the crew was in it they would have died. It looks like the explosive bolts didn't all release at the same time. which caused the it to turn in the air. It would never have made the window for the orbit. If the crew module's boosters had fired it would have sent it back towards Kennedy. This was a fail on the epic scale.

[taofledermaus]

You probably saw the Nasa animation of this launch and the separation, and this launch did not behave like the animation that showed the top stage/module continuing on in a straight path. Not tweaking around 180! I also notice that ALL these posted videos suddenly pause at the moment of separation too. The video on Nasa TV didn't pause like that.

[Frapazoid]

Yes it did; I watched it live online and saw it freeze when it came apart.

If it didn't on actual television, than this particular upload might have been framegrabbed from their online broadcast.

[taofledermaus]

I did not watch it live, last I heard it was scrubbed again for the day. The uninterupted video is still on the NasaTv website. Look on the left side of the page for "Videos"  and then select "Featured Videos". It sure looks like it failed to completely separate as you described.

[Frapazoid]

I watched in on their online NasaTV live feed which did have the interruption. If the video on their website is uninterrupted, than I would bet this YT upload is grabbed from the NasaTV online live feed that I saw.

Thus the stall is

1) Not NASA's doing

2) According to you, not on the NASA website

3) Doesn't actually hide anything, or else we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[danschaoticmind]

You are correct that the glitch in the cameras is not a stall.

It's a simple matter of :

1. Shock acting on cameras.

2. visual reset of the optics.

No cover up here. Though as I mentioned before the LSCs simply were off in timing. No biggie there.

[Frapazoid]

Do you understand what's going on?

This was an aerodynamics test article to see if it'd do anything ridiculous that simulations didn't catch. As such, it was an instant win.

Simulations fail to reveal things like this. They relied entirely on simulation for the F-22 and wound up producing large numbers with structural defects.

Also, there is absolutely no way it would be sent back towards Kennedy. That you'd even suggest that clearly shows you have no idea what you're talking about.

[demorcef]

I didn't see any weird pogo or shaking...guess the Ares haters out there need to eat some crow at this point...do you prefer fried, baked, or sandwich? :)

[Frapazoid]

That was a worry about the 5-segment motor. (This used a 4-segment motor as it was an aerodynamics test article and didn't need the 5-seg.)

However the 5-segment motor was tested on the ground just recently.

[c17253]

listen to the antagonistic boof head on here who seems to be feeling left out. You state sir that these people suffer from intellectual disabilities for having a friendly chat about their common interests, I must point out that it is you who has made a world wide public declaration to imply that it is you who knows all. Mate, if anything can be assertained by reading your narcistic dribble, its that you are a low life with a chip on your shoulder and with no real value on a human level.

[threadysparrow]

listen to the retards on here who think they know what they are talking about LMAO

[sbender24]

That was pure awesome. TBH, I didnt know what to expect, but I'm glad everything went well. Good job NASA!

[BurfTheMagicDragon]

How exactly was the separation botched? The pyro separated the stages, the booster decel motors fired, and the booster tumble motors fired. There was also no recontact even though the upper stage was not powered so it was closer than it would be for Ares I. Projectiles have a tendency to tumble unless there is something to help prevent it. Why do you think they put fletchings on arrows? Why do you think they rifle gun barrels to spin the bullet?

[danschaoticmind]

The seperation was not botched per se.

What ended up happening (And anyone with the NASA for employees tv access would have seen it to) was the transmissions back and forth followed by "Sequence begin.... 4 fire 1...Fired "

I mean, these things happen yeah. But otherwise the mission was a success. I look forward to seeing future flights using this configuration.

[YukonTrooper]

There are aft motors that are supposed to maneuver the booster for a slow, efficient reentry after separation. Unfortunately, the separation was botched (it doesn't take a genius to see this) and everything went to hell from there on in. Fortunately, in science, experiments that go to hell can sometimes return better data than experiments that are relatively flawless. What I'm most afraid of is the way this might be spun in the media. NASA already has a terrible track record of recent.

[brownfiasco]

uhh, complete failure? if the payload doesn't separate properly the mission is lost. thats a broken stick, it only separated when it was at 90 degrees and broke off. i guess rather than talk about the failure, nasa just takes out the 15 seconds of footage. there were probably piece breaking off. love the confused engineer at the end. body language is everything

[jmdeur]

the test pretty much ended at separation of the first stage booster (basically a standard shuttle srb with a dummy fifth segment added to the top - the real first stage will have five propellant segments as opposed to the shuttle srb's four). the upper stage and above were just "boilerplate" so were in uncontrolled flight after separation and immediately began tumbling (which was a little odd as I would have thought momentum would have kept them going for a little bit, but still ok).

[evil13rt]

There doesn't seem to be any contact. Looked more like gas venting from the SRB ditch motors pushing the unguided upper stage around on separation.

Maybe NASA can confirm one way or another later.

Otherwise it was a beautiful launch.

Congratulations to all involved.

[clayzee001]

i watched it live on nasa tv :)

[skunkworks226]

history in the making

[proskinuk]

NASA has admitted that "[t]he dynamics at staging were unexpected"

[herrjon]

As proskinuk stated...  looks like the booster didn't fully separate from the payload and instead looked like a 'broken stick'. At this point video coverage was lost.

Congrats on a good test flight, but why hasn't Nasa discussed the separation? I'm sure everyone noticed it?

Look at time: 2:27 to see what I'm talking about.

[chuckpcr]

Looked great, it was well worth the wait.

[proskinuk]

It looks like the second stage was hit by the first stage during the separation and started turning. That would be a big problem in a real flight!

[Starwing1272]

the turning was designed into the system in order to seperate the SRB from the 2nd stage more quickly. with a active 2nd stage it would have gotten distance from the booster in a hurry

[gitarristausKiel]

Hope to see this beauty be launched to reach the moon.

[neelespn]

Nice

[Eisenmond]

Beautiful, yet disastrously ugly at the same time... Working on Orion, as I did until last June, this was a great milestone to witness! Score one for American Space Travel!

[red8316]

Thanks for posting, missed it this morning.

[chelseafcbest90]

Awesome launch!