Ares I-X test launch

Messiah Khan said:
I would also have liked to seen a new reusable vehicle designed and built, but as far as I know, the Aries rocket (1 and 5) are not only being designed for orbital flight, but also being able to take us to the moon, and then eventually Mars, which is something that the shuttle could never do. A reusable vehicle capable of going to Mars and back would be great, but I suspect it would also be a lot lot more expensive and complex.
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An interesting bit about that is that for shuttle to travel beyond earth orbit (even if it was outfited with extra fuel tanks) would be impossible because the heat tiles would not be capable of the higher re-entry velocity that results from the return trip from a distant body like Mars or even the moon.
 
GreatWaves said:
What? Might you be thinking of the "lifting body" crew escape vehicle (for ISS)? That was indeed 90% complete, then abandoned due mainly to budget. I've never seen other than conceptual design sketches of shuttle replacements.
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See coupel posts above


GreatWaves said:
An interesting bit about that is that for shuttle to travel beyond earth orbit (even if it was outfited with extra fuel tanks) would be impossible because the heat tiles would not be capable of the higher re-entry velocity that results from the return trip from a distant body like Mars or even the moon.
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But this is why you need two rockets. Deep space and payload low orbit carrier. The specs are so different it's hard to get a all in one that is cost effective.
 
AcidHell2 said:
The reusable one, was already designed and the prototype something like 90% complete.

The "problem" was they wanted a fuel tank at x-weight out of composite materials. They couldn't achieve that but they did have one at that spec out of aluminium. But they where hell bent on composite. Or something like that anyway.*trundles of to google*
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Woah I didn't know they had gotten that far with it.
 
AcidHell2 said:
But this is why you need two rockets. Deep space and payload low orbit carrier. The specs are so different it's hard to get a all in one that is cost effective.
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Yep, they just barely managed with one launch vehicle in the Apollo landings. That would be pretty much impossible with the lander for the next landings. The new lander is significantly larger and holds all three (or four?) of the crew (no one guy left in lunar orbit this time).
 
I just hope we get as far as Ares V, immense lift capability.

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Looking forward to this, and where NASA go with their plans as a whole. After doing quite a lot of looking at this for my degree it seems that while there does appear to be a few bad decisions made in the past, this program still gives us a lot of room of for expansion in the future. The shuttle was never going to do anything more than aid the building of the ISS, and now that that is almost done, we have to look beyond that.

In terms of which spacecraft is best, this is the cheapest way to go the furthest for the criteria NASA has specified.
 
Countdown Schedule

T-01:45:00 - Begin pad securing

T-01:10:00 - Remove 5-hole probe cover

T-00:55:00 - Begin final alignment of inertial navigation unit

T-00:43:00 - Activate Flight Termination System

T-00:30:00 - Clear launch pad personnel; First stage Pyro Initiator Controller test; Activate aft skirt purge; Turn on Development Flight Instrumentation

T-00:20:00 - Flight Termination System closed-loop test

T-00:04:00 - Enter 20-minute built-in hold; Power up rocket video transmitters; Verify launch weather

T-00:04:00 - Start launch recorders; Configure sequencer for launch

T-00:04:00 - Poll Launch Authority Team for "go/no go"

T-00:04:00 - T-minus 4 minutes and counting

T-00:03:30 - Arm Flight Termination System

T-00:03:25 - Arm Solid Rocket Motor

T-00:03:00 - Turn off avionics cooling fans

T-00:01:59 - Transfer to internal power

T-00:01:54 - Start instrumentation data recorder

T-00:01:40 - Enable flight control system

T-00:01:20 - Synchronize DFI and OFI data streams

T-00:00:50 - Deactivate SRM joint heaters

T-00:00:35 - Set FTINU to navigation mode

T-00:00:28 - Start APU

T-00:00:21 - SRM gimbal test

T-00:00:16 - Activate sound suppression water

T-00:00:00 - SRM ignition and liftoff
 
clv101 said:
What are the chances of this going bang?
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Solid propellant boosters are so simple in design compared to liquid fuel that they are highly unlikely to suffer anything catastrophic like a bang. There would need to be a really blatant and major flaw in the booster casing or a miscalculation in the amount of propellant.

And this overall booster design has been thoroughly tested on the shuttle. Even a flaw like in the Challenger disaster would not make the booster go bang, probably just make it go off course and then they would purposely detonate it.

The solid boosters are very refined and reliable despite the drawbacks of solids in general.

p.s. Looks like I might miss the take off... arg.
 
clv101 said:
What are the chances of this going bang?
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There must be a small probability of it going bang don’t forget that this is a test rocket. But they are using components that have been statically tested, some the case components have been recycled from previous shuttle flights and the solid rocket motor comes from the space shuttle inventory.
 
LordSplodge said:
Better hope that the plug isn't pulled because the new government has spent all their money on bailing the stupid banks out.
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Sounds like it might not even be a case of plug pulling. Last I heard the thoughts whirling around Capitol Hill were that NASA doesn't have anywhere near enough funding to complete the Constellation programme even if they were just left alone. We may be confined to earth for longer than was thought. :(
 
simulatorman said:
There must be a small probability of it going bang don’t forget that this is a test rocket. But they are using components that have been statically tested, some the case components have been recycled from previous shuttle flights and the solid rocket motor comes from the space shuttle inventory.
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Yeah from what I understand, there is one more major unknown in this: they predict a much larger amount of vibration on the booster. My understanding is that they have fitted dampeners in the lower portion of the booster casing... so the casing in that region is like a bit more flexible or something.
 
Berserker said:
Sounds like it might not even be a case of plug pulling. Last I heard the thoughts whirling around Capitol Hill were that NASA doesn't have anywhere near enough funding to complete the Constellation programme even if they were just left alone. We may be confined to earth for longer than was thought. :(
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In the process pave the way for China to send back HD footage from the moon impressing upon the less stable regions of the world what a good system China has. I have a feeling that they'll find a way. Congress always has at any given moment plenty of people more concerned about domestic problems and complaining about the more ambitious pursuits, but in the long run I would think there will be enough support.

ed: You could look at it like this is all about HD (or broadcasting that's better than in the late 60's). When holographic sets become the norm, they'll have to go to the moon again :p
 
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GreatWaves said:
Yeah from what I understand, there is one more major unknown in this: they predict a much larger amount of vibration on the booster. My understanding is that they have fitted dampeners in the lower portion of the booster casing... so the casing in that region is like a bit more flexible or something.
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They are expecting some oscillations but the results from the test firing of the first stage indicate that oscillations should less than predicted.

I thought that the spring damper system that will be inserted between the Ares 1 first stage and upper stage, and between the upper stage and the Orion crew capsule was still in the design phase.
 
simulatorman said:
They are expecting some oscillations but the results from the test firing of the first stage indicate that oscillations should less than predicted.

I thought that the spring damper system that will be inserted between the Ares 1 first stage and upper stage, and between the upper stage and the Orion crew capsule was still in the design phase.
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I haven't read anything about that. The dampers I was referring to are on/in the booster casing lower region. Don't have time right now to search for that reference. Perhaps I misread it?, but don't think so.
 
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