NASA Successfully Launches Aries 1-X

From CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/10/28/nasa.ares.rocket/index.html)
NASA launched its Ares I-X rocket Wednesday, after multiple delays over two days because of bad weather.

The rocket took off at 11:30 a.m. ET, 30 minutes before a noon deadline for the launch.

The unmanned Ares I-X is a part of the Constellation Program. The program has been developing new vehicles to replace space shuttles, which will be phased out in 2010.

The rocket's launch is part of NASA's mission to someday return astronauts to the moon and later travel to Mars.

If the Constellation Program moves forward, the Orion capsule atop the Ares rocket will not be ready to take astronauts into space until at least 2015, leaving a gap of at least five years in which the only way the United States would be able to put humans in orbit would be by hitching a ride with the Russians.

Part of the test rocket mission is for scientists to try out three massive main parachutes, measuring 150 feet in diameter and weighing one ton each -- the largest rocket parachutes ever manufactured.

The parachutes are a primary element of the rocket's deceleration system, NASA says. After the rocket is successfully launched, the parachutes are to open at the same time, "providing the drag necessary to slow the descent of the huge solid rocket motor for a soft landing in the ocean," the agency says on its Web site.

The two parts of the rocket are to separate at about 130,000 feet. The top of the rocket, known as the upper stage, includes a mock Orion crew capsule and a launch abort system. The upper stage will continue its ascent until gravity forces its return to Earth, after which it will fall into the Atlantic Ocean.

The launch comes at a critical time, when NASA is waiting for President Obama to decide future funding for the agency.

An independent committee reviewing the future of space flight recently reported that the U.S. space program appears to be pursuing goals that exceed current funding.

The committee also recommended to the White House that funding for NASA's under-construction international space station should be extended until 2020.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NASA
• Aries 1-X
• rocket launch
• cape canaveral
• space program
• international space station
• space flight

[schieese]

Lets go to Mars now.

[spacegeeks3]

this is the future of space flight

[SuperODST1]

well, they didn't kill nasa, just budget cuts. IT'S THE $#@e#&@#% 70'S ALL OVER AGAIN! and schieese, the reason why we're not going is this: hanging out in a small capsule for 6 months, kinda get's cramped doesn't it?

[amourdutigre]

It would have been real nice if that stupid Kenyan national communo-islamic pretender in the white house (who along with his lovely wife hates this country) didn't kill this program!

ADT

[CanadianAlbertan]

Wooooo let's go to space

[SneakyTweaky]

this guys rock

[annahmot]

People like ford 9125 should read up on the flight tests before watcing it. Saying, oops what happened? - what went wrong? - and... oh my god, only starts panic. Nothing went wrong, everthing went as pland!!! And i'm not going to waist my time explainging it READ IT!

Only one vehicle can ever been claimed as being a test vehicle, The Space Shuttle Columbia STS-1. As a whole it had to much power and force to be tested as a single vehicle. Buran 1 did too, and russia knew it. Very Risk!

[MilkyWayArchives]

I'm actually surprised how far it got into space with just a slightly modified 4-SRB and a dummy upper stage.

I expect Ares 1-Y to fix things like the flawed seperation and get a little farther into space with the newer 5-SRB.

[pjwraith]

markcoutis,

could be a bad flux capaciter, or an earth modulator!

[egregiel87]

Holy crap did you see how fast that thing entered into space? Amazing, next stop MARS!

[MilkyWayArchives]

Be glad that they at least tested a prototype rocket so that the Ares 1-Y test goes much more smoothly than the Ares 1-X.

Only problem I see is that the seperation isn't perfect. But at least everything else went as well as planned. It dosn't look like they will have to fix that much with the next version of the Ares 1 (Which will use the actual 5-SRB). By the way, the upper stage is suppose to tumble away as it is just a dummy.