Other Ares 1-X Today

Nasa is letting off the worlds biggest, most expensive and quite possibly (depending on what Barak decides off the back of the Augustine report) the most pointless firework in history.

Ares 1-X is on the pad and is go for launch at the moment. Coverage here:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/ares1x/status.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/science/space/26rocket.html?_r=2&hpw
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8325861.stm

Dear Mr Obama & Mr Bolden:

Light the blue touch paper and retreat to a safe distance. And once it's gone, divert the cash to SpaceX, cancel Ares completely and go for the Shuttle Side Mount HLV.

 

This. Ares is going to be SUCH a waste.

 

Yea, I don't like the Ares 1 very much either. I seen a simulation video of it in flight when i was down at JSC, and it kinda looked like someone was waggling a hot-dog back and forth from all the vibration.

But the Ares V... now that looks a bit more promising!


But my favorite by far would be the Jupiter Shuttle derived rocket family...
If i remember the story I heard about it correctly, it was designed by some of the engineers currently working on the Ares program, but they really didn't like the Ares design, so in their spare time they came up with this design. Less work involved in its design, they would only need one launch vehicle design to do both crew and heavy lifts, and would be a much safer design than the Side mount HLV.


I like SpaceX quite a bit, although I'd still prefer NASA to do most of the work, since NASA will never be for-profit, and... I kind of want to work for NASA after I graduate...

 

DIRECT sounds like a better (and cheaper) proposition, IMO.

 

Direct = Jupiter.

The Jupiter family of shuttle derived lifters is part of the Direct 'Program' (as it doesn't really exist apart from on paper), much the same as Ares famiy is part of Constellation.

 

Yes, I know. I'm sorry if my post sounded like a reply to xrain.

 

I'm betting that this doesn't go today. Apparently, this rocket has issues flying through clouds

http://spaceflightnow.com/ares1x/091025weather/

 

Yeah. Tribal electrification

NASA is becoming useless.

 

As we wait - I can't see Nasa selecting a Direct based approach at all. Too much loss of face, and far too much 'We told you so' from the guys behind it.

It'll be Side Mount HLV or Ares 5 lite going forward IMHO.

 

But Side Mount HLV will have similar aspect-ratio issues to the Shuttle and similar safety problems (with foam and junk falling off at launch).

Looking at the success and reliability of the Russian programme, I believe vertically stacked is certainly a good model, just not this particular model.

This is the first I'm hearing of a 'lite' Ares V - care to link me to some reading?

 

But the side mount HLV doesn't car about foam loss - The cargo canister that mounts where the shuttle does now is sacrificial, and burn up once used - just like the external tank. The heatshield of the vehical that will return to earth is protected within the canister.

Ares 5 lite:


http://www.examiner.com/x-21670-Houston-Space-News-Examiner~y2009m9d20-What-is-the-Ares-V-Lite
http://matt.wronkiewicz.net/archives/153?bcsi_scan_04A1A404D9C51BBA=0
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jonathanamos/2009/10/the-augustine-routemap-for-us.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_V
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ares_IV

SDHLV:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle-Derived_Heavy_Lift_Launch_Vehicle

 

Its a flight dynamics test with real time data transfer that is crucial for analysis. They won't let them launch if EM interference will interrupt the transmissions. That's not being useless, that's being smart.

Ares I isn't my favorite rocket, and its certainly not the biggest ever, far from it. The Saturn V is much wider, and a fair amount taller.

 

I know.... It's just amusing that clouds could cause a problem to it.

What's that saying - "If it looks right, it probably is right"? I'm sorry but Ares 1 looks anything but right.

 

FIDO? - GO!
GUIDANCE? - GO!
GNC? - GO!
TELMU? - GO!
CONTROL? - GO!
PROCEDURES? - GO!
INCO? - GO!
FAO? - GO!
NETWORK? - GO!
RECOVERY? - GO!
SOCK? - Er - Ummm. Huston, We have a problem with the Sock...

[Edit] Oh - looks like after a heroic Apollo 13 like effort, they have GO on the Sock.

 

Hahaha, I was cracking up watching them tug on that thing.

And did you see the sway? Scary...

 

Wow - looks as if they're actually going to get to launch it today - Rogue ships and socks not withstanding...

 

HAH! I spoke to soon. ABORTED!

 

Goddammit. I wanted to see it

 

I honesty don't believe that anyone apart from NASA could could have all these things getting in the way to delay this over and over again. It's getting to a point where all the delays are too unbelievable to be fiction. Just hurry up and launch.

Chris

 

From Spaceflight Now:

But it's now getting windy, and those darn pesky clouds are getting in the way again.