James Dean reports in this morning's newspaper ...
The first prototype of the rocket NASA is designing to replace the space shuttle reached an important milestone Wednesday, but its launch date remains uncertain.
Kennedy Space Center workers began stacking the first pieces of the 321-foot Ares I-X rocket on a mobile launcher platform inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.
"We are very excited," said Jon Cowart, deputy Ares I-X mission manager.
The $360 million test flight's launch from pad 39B is still officially scheduled for no earlier than Aug. 30.
A more realistic working target is mid-September, Cowart said, and "it is not unrealistic to think that we could go into October."
NASA will likely set a new launch date later this month.
Managers are scouring schedules for work that could be accelerated or eliminated and considering overtime shifts that would help meet an earlier date, Cowart said.
At the same time, "tiger teams" of engineers are studying technical issues, including vibrations that must be low enough to ensure the rocket can be safely destroyed if it heads off course.
Cowart said such issues were expected when building a rocket for the first time.
The suborbital test flight will be powered by four first-stage solid rocket motor segments, like those used on the space shuttle. It will also include a simulated fifth segment and mock-ups of a liquid-
fueled upper stage, crew capsule and launch abort system.
The flight from launch pad 39B will test the rocket's first-stage flight control system and parachute recovery system, the system that separates the first and second stages, and vibrations.
A key decision point comes around July 24, when engineers will decide whether to proceed with stacking the rocket's simulated upper stage or make modifications to reduce vibrations.
Meanwhile, a panel established by the Obama administration is reviewing whether NASA should proceed with development of Ares I rockets at all. Its recommendations are expected next month.
NASA plans to have an Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule ready to carry astronauts back to the International Space Station by 2015.
Space news and analysis from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral 
6 comments:
I vote for Columbus Day launch!!
I voted for Obama but he has really started to disappoint me. First he cancels the F-22 Raptor program, and now he's "investigating" whether or not NASA ought to completely give up on manned space travel. What the hell is the point of having NASA then? Does he want to be the prez that put an end to Americans in space? What kind of legacy is that?????
It bothers me that NASA keeps wasting money on the flawed Ares vehicles. Hopefully, Obama will put an end to it once and for all.
Stay the course. no flip flopping
Yep Obama is a man of his word, he said he wouldn't dwell on the same tired old ideas because there won't be any ideas or a manned space program. NASA stands for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, If the president has his way it'll be just NA!
It's official...we are throwing away our one chance to walk away from the burden of a bloated workforce and web of manned spaceflight contractors....Congress said retire the shuttle, and now we are supposed to throw away the orbiters?-while at the same time keeping the 2 parts that have failed us in the past? Remember Challenger-when a BOOSTER FAILURE led to a TANK FAILURE and LOSS OF CREW. What About Columbia When another TANK FAILURE killed another brave 7 souls. Now we have another TANK PROBLEM caused by POOR QUALITY CONTROL that has delayed another flight costing millions of dollars. All for a problem LM KNEW ABOUT.
TIME TO CUT USA, LM AND ATK LOOSE and move on to something better.
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