Ares 1-X Rocket Lifts Off
Credit & Copyright: Rory A. Duncan (United Space Alliance)
Posted on 11/02/2009 5:44:23 AM PST by sig226
Explanation: Last week, NASA test fired a new rocket. The Ares 1-X was the first non-shuttle rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center since the Saturn launched humans to Earth orbit and the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s. NASA is testing Ares as a prelude to replacing the aging space shuttle fleet. The tremendous thrust of the Ares 1-X can bring the massive rocket from a standing start to a vertical speed of over 100 kilometers per hour in under eight seconds. The test rocket launched last week was longer than a football field and covered with over 700 sensors to record data that will enable engineers to refine details of future Ares rockets. Pictured above, the Ares 1-X blasts into space while the top part of the rocket becomes engulfed in a shock collar of water droplets likely created by the sudden drop of air pressure.
It’s a Q-tip!
It’s a Q-tip!
Receptacle tip.
0-60 MPH in 8 seconds doesn’t sound too fast.
But it’s almost straight up, goes on a lot longer, and increases as the fuel load is used up.
Was it carrying any significant payload?
SweetiePalm and I have tickets for the 11/16/09 launch of the Space Shuttle. They are putting up one of our satellites, Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) #3 on Wednesday the 18th.
A busy week on the Space Coast.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Obama's ego.
Can’t be true. It was able to get off the ground.
Wow! It must be the most powerful rocket ever built.
the rocket weighs 1,800,000 pounds.
this was a last minute scrub. instead, they filled it with obama’s accomplishments.
It’s amazing they even get off the ground. Even more amazing when you consider they can carry some pretty impressive payloads.
IIRC the Space Shuttle generates about 6 million pounds of thrust at launch. And once you light the SRBs you can’t turn ‘em off.
Hang on!
“The tremendous thrust of the Ares 1-X...”
Umm. Well, I don’t think there’s anything terribly impressive about this rocket (except that they were able to slap it together in about three years). It isn’t the achievement that the Saturn V was. I suppose it is rocket science, by definition, but as far as I can tell it’s just a solid booster (shrug). Light duty, but good for low earth orbit where the “bread and butter” of the launch business has always been. It does rather beg the question of what the Aries I will do, that the current Atlas and Delta vehicles will not.
Is it reliable, cheap and able to deliver lift capacity on schedule? Too early to tell. If it can do that, it will be quite a change from the Shuttle. Now the Aries V, there’s a rocket! We haven’t had heavy lift capability in the inventory since the Saturn, but even it may not have the payload necessary for Lunar work without some reengineering. There’s other ways to do the job without the V, and it sure would save a lot of money to avoid developing another platform that is going to be of limited use compared to the Aries I and what’s currently available.
Pretty picture though. Kinda’ weird separation. Not used to all that tumbling.
Ah, so an ultralight payload ?
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