At 2 p.m. today, NASA managers will present the first in a series of reports reviewing the performance of the agency's Oct. 28 Ares I-X flight test from Kennedy Space Center. You can listen to the media teleconference with Ares I-X mission manager Bob Ess online here, and follow along with this 30-day report.
The 327-foot tall Ares I-X rocket launched with more than 700 sensors to gather data intended to improve the design of the Ares I rocket.
NASA is developing Ares I to launch astronauts after the shuttle, though its political future is uncertain following a presidential panel's review of human spaceflight options and their costs.
The test rocket was powered by a four-segment shuttle solid rocket booster for the first stage. It was topped by a dummy fifth segment and simulations of the upper stage, crew capsule and launch abort tower.
NASA's report indicates that vibration levels and rolling producced by the skinny launch vehicle were in line with or better than projections.
A parachute failure resulted in damage to the first stage as it splashed down nearly 150 miles off the coast to end the six-minute test flight.
IMAGE: The first stage ignites on NASA's Ares I-X test rocket at launch pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Oct. 28. The rocket produced 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff and reaches a speed of 100 mph in eight seconds. This was the first launch from Kennedy's pads of a vehicle other than the space shuttle since the Apollo Program's Saturn rockets were retired. The parts used to make the Ares I-X booster flew on 30 different shuttle missions ranging from STS-29 in 1989 to STS-106 in 2000. The data returned from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will be used to refine the design of future launch vehicles and bring NASA one step closer to reaching its exploration goals. Photo credit: NASA/ Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell
3 comments:
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finally we know something real about the Ares 1-X test!
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the thrust oscillation seems better than expected that is a good news since, now, we know that an SRB can be launched alone and (probably) also with a manned vehicle atop it without damage for the astronauts health
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after all, the SRB safety and reliability was already evidenced by the 250+ successful SRB launches with the Shuttle, but, before this test, there was the doubt that it was so good since mitigated by the Shuttle stack mass and by the SSMEs throttling
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however, the bad news is that we are talking of the STANDARD SRB and NOT of the new and considerably different 5-segments version to be used in the final Ares-1
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a further bad news is that NASA has scrapped the (already too late, since previously planned for 2013, or later) Ares 1-Y so, only in 2017 (or later) when the first unmanned Ares-1 test "should" be performed, we'll know if also the new SRB version is so safe
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in short, the standard SRB can be launched alone with an cargo payload and (probably) also with a manned capsule atop it (despite, NOT so heavy like the current Orion design) but we can't be sure (until the 2017+ test) that also the SRB-5 could perform a launch with the same safe specs of a standard SRB
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the most interesting figure of the Ares 1-X 30 day report is at page 15 where is stated that the "Altitude at separation" has been "~128 kft (nominal ~ 129 kft)" that's around 39 km.
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unfortunately, the report doesn't give us the 1-X altitude at the 1st stage BURN OUT that is a very important data, since the flight profile of the 1-X is slightly different from a Shuttle launch
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in a Shuttle launch, both SRBs are jettisoned at 45 km. of altitude and they continue to fly due to their inertia, while they burn the residual propellant, so, the SRBs burn out happens some seconds later
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in the 1-X test, the separation is happened only AFTER the FULL burn out of the SRB (as shown also in the images of the launch) so, we must INCLUDE the extra-altitude reached thanks to the inertia of the SRB
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the given figure (39 km.) is surely better than the early (rumored) 35 km. (reported in a blog's post linked in my article about the Ares 1-X test) but, LESS good than expected, since, the 1st stage, hasn't not even reached the same altitude (45 km.) where, the Shuttle SRBs, are jettisoned !
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so, now I've some doubt about change the calculations in my Ares 1-X article, since it's UNCLEAR if the 39 km. data is the burn out AND the stage separation altitude OR if the 39 km. data is ONLY the stage separation altitude, while, the SRB burn out happened at 35 km. of altitude, with 4 extra-km. of INERTIA
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please note, that, we can't add the extra 4 km. of inertia in the count of the "useful altitude" because the rocket reaches 39 km. of altitude, from 35 km. of the SRB burn out, but, in the same time, its speed falls from mach 4.6 to ZERO
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then, I wait more clear data about this very important point before update the calculations published in my Ares 1-X article:
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http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts2/057afailedtest.html
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another important data (missed in this first report about the Ares 1-X test) to know if an SRB launched alone can be used for manned vehicles, is the time/thrust vs. G curve
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Just read the article: "Why the Ares-1 is already DEAD"
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http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts2/058ares1dead.html
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Mr. Ghostnasa,
Given that you have an agenda I take every thing I've read from you with a grain of salt. Yes, I have read parts of you website and have it hysterical. But please stop posting this pseudo-factual, ego stroking, blog verified B.S. The web is too full of amatuers thinking they're playing with model rockets.
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