Thursday, August 27, 2009

NASA Scrubs Ares I First-Stage Test-Firing

BLOGGER NOTE, 3:33 PM: NASA and manufacturer ATK are scrubbing today's planned test-firing of an Ares I first-stage because a critical hydraulic system used to steer the booster's nozzle failed during the late stages of the countdown. The test has not yet been rescheduled.

NASA is gearing up for a test-firing today of the first-stage of the Ares I rocket being developed to launch Orion spacecraft and astronauts on the first leg of missions to the moon, Mars and other destinations.

Assuming President Obama doesn't cancel the Ares I program after he fields options from a presidential commission reviewing NASA's future human space flight plans.

You can watch the test-firing, which is taking place in Utah, here in The Flame Trench. Click the NASA TV box on the right side of the page to launch our NASA TV viewer and live coverage.

The countdown to the 3 p.m. test-firing is under way.

8 comments:

Nick said...

Does NASA have any other chances for failure today?

Todd Halvorson said...

Nick:

In reality, NASA just avoided potential failure. Twice in one day. Live to launch (or test) another day....

Nick said...

You need to teach me how to explain things to my boss. About the 50th time I told the boss this I might get fired.

Gaetano Marano said...

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why lose TIME and MONEY ???
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the Ares-1 CAN'T FLY: http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts/012arescantfly.html
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and costs TOO MUCH: http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts2/051ares1price.html
--

Unknown said...

My brother is a scientist on the project from Huntsville. He was there. Awaiting word on what happened. I was "supposed" to go see the actual test launch 10/31. I am very afraid Obama is going to pull the plug. Miss fires and mistakes are to be expected, but this admin. is looking for any excuse to do what it's wanted to all along. God I wish they have something go well for once. Not that any regular people are even paying any damn attention.

Graham said...

Amy i echo that comment on obama,i will be mad as hell if they knock this program on the head. They'll identify why the hydraulics failed and set up for another test.

Hope you see it, and all goes to plan.

From a UK space fan.

PaulR said...

Well, I am a "regular person" (not part of NASA) and I watch and support these efforts!

Anonymous said...

I watched the attempted firing of the new, more robust Ares solid rocket. It was, to say the least, ungratifying.
I think that part of NASA's problem is that they explain poorly why a failure is part of the learning curve. But it also seems that they've committed to a system which, though intended to move us beyond LEO, seems doomed to leave us out of space entirely.
We really need a space program that is incredibly open, avails itself of scrutiny, explains why and how it learns from good and failed test results, and explains how it spends its budget - and how it could use more to accomplish more.
NASA is just as affected by the Harvard Business School's teaching, "do more with less," which has almost driven our nation to ruin - as the Commandant of the Coast Guard raled during his update earlier this year - "you do less with less, not more!" NASA needs to offer an honest and accurate budget, and honestly state that with x amount of money we can do y, but with an additional amount we can speed up, or do more in area y. NASA needs to reconnect input with output - and demonstrate how greater input can generate greater robustness in developing and testing new or improved technology.
B. Ivy Stiles