Ares. NASA's new rocket Created 15 years ago2009-10-18 18:35:22 UTC by The Mad Carrot

As you may know, the space shuttle program is nearing its conclusion. With just a handful of shuttle flights remaining, the last shuttle flight is to be expected in 2010. Then Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour are officially retired.

What's coming next?

The answer: Project Constellation.With Project Constellation, NASA wants to return to the moon and begin preparing missions to Mars. And of course, deliver supplies to the ISS as well as crew members.

The launch vehicles (the rockets that will carry loads into space) are Ares-I and Ares-V.

Ares-I:Originally dubbed the Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), Ares-I is the rocket that will carry the astronauts into space. The crew compartment is known as Orion which will jettison from the rocket like it did during the Apollo program.
A Shuttle-derived launch architecture was selected by NASA for the Ares I. Originally, the vehicle would have used a four-segment solid rocket booster (SRB) for the first stage, and a simplified space shuttle main engine (SSME) for the second stage. An unmanned version was to use the five-segment booster, but with the second stage using the single SSME. Shortly after the initial design was approved, additional tests revealed that the Orion spacecraft would be too heavy for the four-segment booster to lift, and in January 2006 NASA announced they would slightly reduce the size of the Orion spacecraft, add a fifth segment to the solid-rocket first stage, and replace the single SSME with the Apollo-derived J-2X motor. While the change from a four-segment first stage to a five-segment version would allow NASA to construct virtually identical motors (albeit with some interchangeable segments), the main reason for the change to the five-segment booster was the move to the J-2X.

Ares-V:Ares-V is the Cargo Launch Vehicle or CaLV, designed to hoist payloads and supplies into space and to the ISS.
The solid rocket booster on Ares V will be an improved version of the current Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster, but with five and a half segments instead of the current four segments
Ares-V will eventually launch the Altair Lunar Lander:Until the first manned launch of Ares-I, NASA is currently building the Ares-IX, a fully functionaly Ares-I launch vehicle, but with a mockup crew compartment and emergency escape tower, to simulate weight.
As of right now, the Ares-IX is complete and ready for rollout to launch pad 39B scheduled on October 20th.

To support the Ares-I and Ares-V, both launch pads (39A and 39B) require hardware modifications. With the space shuttly still flying, pad 39B has been deactivated since 2006 and is already undergoing modifications to support the Ares-IX and future Ares-I and Ares-V rockets. Pad 39A is kept unmodified to support the shuttle until its retirement in 2010.
Because the Ares rockets are taller than the shuttle, and the fixed service structure, NASA already build and installed four large lightning towers on pad 39B, as seen here:The large towers on the pads known as the Fixed Service Structure and Rotating Service Structure will be deconstructed and removed from the pads.On the right, the FSS. On the left, the RSS.

A new Mobile Launcher Platform is also being constructed that will carry and support the Ares rockets. It will also carry a new fixed service structure, pretty much like they did in the Apollo ara.
The entire stack (MLP, Ares-I/V and service structure will be rolled to pad 39A or 39B using one of NASA two Crawler Transporters.A Crawler Transporter.A Crawler Transporter carrying space shuttle Atlantis to one of the pads.

For Ares-IX, the mobile launcher platform that currently supports the shuttle will be used to support the Ares-IX, which is a unique event, as a new MLP is constructed for Ares.
As for launchpad 39B, the Fixed Service Structure and Rotating Service Structure still exists when Ares-IX rolls to the pad, which is a very unique event as well, as both pads will have the FSS and RSS removed.

This is what it will look like:The launch of the Ares-IX Test Flight is schedules for October 27th. You don't want to miss it, for first time ever since STS-1, the maiden space shuttle flight in 1981, a new rocket will prepare for launch on launch complex 39, with shuttle hardware still present.

The Ares-IX test flight mission will last two minutes, as the mockup crew compartment and emergency escape tower will be lost in the ocean after jettison.
As always, this event is aired live on NASA TV.
Don't have NASA TV on your local cabel provider? Watch NASA TV on the NASA website: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html?param=public

Im excited!

Go Ares!

Very interesting. I've already waited over 21 years to see a new mission to the moon. Hopefully it'll be less than 30. And with any luck, the video will be a higher quality than the last time around

But wait.. I don't have NASA TV!

Dude, you should serious be looking into working for Nasa. I don't know anybody who is into astronomy like you are man. Seriously, good on ya!

So... Are they going to stop space exploration, or just stop using shuttles?

Also, any trip to the moon is reason to celebrate!

More importantly, the potential trip to Mars!

Did you say Mission to Mars?

Disco, they stream NasaTV online:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Unbreakable, I wouldn't say its his interest in astronomy, as astronomy is more of an observational and "study" based science. It is more probably his fascination with anything pertaining to the delivery of and physical exploration of humans in space. The reason I say this as it is very much the same feeling I have toward the program. While astronomy and astrophysics give us a general idea of what the environment of a celestial body is/should be like, physically being there is second to none.

JeffMOD, as far as our manned space exploration is concerned, it was stopped about 30 years ago with the shift of NASA's focus to the Shuttle system and the proposed International Space Station.

The Shuttle was engineered to be a multiple launch vehicle to operate in LEO (Low Earth Orbit), more specifically for use with the satellites/scientific satellites ("telescopes") and later the ISS. So basically the focus went toward microgravity research and development of the ISS, which was at the time more "economic" and indeed technologically feasible than concurrent trips to the moon. It was also argued by some that the human aspect of space exploration added nothing to the overall scientific goals of a mission, and that a robotic probe could do the job just as well without the added expenditures needed for a human occupant/training/sustaining. Naturally the guys in the blue suits saw this and instantaneously nut their pants, which is why all the current exploration missions are done using probes and rovers, among several other reasons.

The shuttle, however, is now aged. So instead of the constant maintenance and potential hazard to the astronauts which we are all too familiar with, we have gone back to a tried and true method for launching cargo and astronauts into space. Unfortunately for the Space Shuttle the rocket stack method can do everything it can, and more.

The more being that you can go from the Ares I / V launching to places of interest in LEO, to reconfiguring the rocket stack of the Ares V for Lunar missions and possible Mars missions, assuming all goes well with the Lunar stage.

I myself haven't had the luxury of witnessing a shuttle launch in person yet, but I plan on making a trek down for one of the final scheduled launches. When/if the day comes that they decide for a manned launch to Mars, I suggest anyone at least living in North America go to witness the launch.

Whoa....that is one mighty space thread you got here, Mighty Atom! I see you did not spare no expense in the pictures department too, good job. I hope you don't mind by letting me to back you up with some extra stuff to your already excellent NASA thread:

Well, Mighty Atom...between your information and that of Nefariou's post, you guys pretty much covered a lot of ground here, more than what I could on my own, that's for sure. So, with that said, all I am going to do here, is to present a free download to anybody that wants to take it:

I'm sure a lot of you here have heard of the "Popular Science" magazine. Well, the November 2009 issue pretty much covers a lot of what is being discussed on this thread, and then some:

For any of you that are interested in doing so, you can download the PDF version of this magazine for free, right here, right now (37mb): Popular_Science_November_2009.pdf < < <

Since this magazine is a PDF file, make sure you have Adobe's Acrobat reader installed on your PC. Here are some of the NASA things that you can read and see about in this magazine.....

The next generation nuclear powered, VASIMR ion propulsion engine:And also these:

Some pretty cool stuff in this thread.

But you have the internet, DiscoStu!
Anyways, I'm looking forward to this flight. I hope I won't miss it.

Good stuff, Tito.

To everyone:
Always wanted to know what happens during the last few hours before lift-off?
Want to know what its like to sit in the shuttle cockpit during lift-off? Not affraid of flipping tons of different switches in the cockpit?

You can experience it with Space Shuttle Mission 2007, the newest and most exciting Space Shuttle Missions Simulator available today, designed to provide the experience and excitement of the NASA Space Shuttle missions in extreme detail.

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Watch the Shuttle launch from the KSC VIP location or from the cockpit. Follow through the SRB and External Tank separation, Orbital Insertion and preparations for performing the mission.

Goto http://www.space-shuttle-mission.com/ for more information.

Want to give it a try? There's a demo available!
Get it here: http://www.excitingsimulations.com/FTP/vmwoe487g0mnw9485fw/SSM2007-DEMO-Setup.exe

The fully functional demo allows you to run STS-1 - the maiden Shuttle flight - from launch to landing. If you want cooler missions - Deply Hubble, ISS, space-walks, MMU etc. then you must of course purchase the full version.
You'll get on-screen instructions on what switch to flip, what button to push, etc.

Seriously, give it a try! Space Shuttle Columbia ready for launch on STS-1

Holy shit I'm so excited ! I can't wait to see the results. As I recently watched "Sunshine" ( Icarus and Icarus II )I'm so very interested in NASA space launches. Go NASA ! The space era begins here !

That movie was ghey

Ares-IX rollout to launchpad 39B is today! And i have to go to work. :/

Call in sick!

Launch pad 39B has a new resident.
For the first time in more than a quarter century, a new rocket stands tall on Pad 39B.That's kinda weird looking, really...

10 months of hard work stuffed into 5 minutes and 45 seconds: Watch the video on YouTube

Ill post more pics soon...

That's truly awesome. Now, just by looking at that cloud cover, I hope the weather does not become a problem on launch day.

Ares IX on Pad 39B:

3:16-3:20 - epic, you can see the moon moving behind the window. Awesome video there.

Indeed.

Check out this awesome photo's of Atlantis and Ares I-X:Also, check this out:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569143,00.html?test=faces

Personally, i'd like to see this happen. According to that article, the first launch of this so called space plane is scheduled to lift-off April 2010.

---

Last month, The U.S. Government Accountability Office said that the design of the Ares rocket is unsafe and dangerous.
The rocket could slam into the launch tower during lift-off at high wind speeds, resulting in total devastation on the pad.

TWO HOURS TILL LAUNCH YAY

NASA postpones the launch of the Ares 1-X rocket by 24 hours.

Launch Control reported that severe winds, with gusts over 20 knots and peaking at 22 knots, were a key factor that preventing the rocket launch. In addition, clouds associated with the "triboelectrification rule" slowed things down. According to NASA's launch blog, "flying through high-level clouds can generate 'P-static' (P for precipitation), which can create a corona of static around the rocket that interferes with radio signals sent by or to the rocket."

Dammit. If the launch was'nt postponed, i would've missed it, because im at work at the time of launch. I think.

Im having trouble figuring out the launch time in the Netherlands, where i live. All this EDT, GMT, PM, AM and all that bullshit confuses the heck out of me. Anyone know what the launch time is in the Netherlands?

Yeah, everyone should just use GMT. Stupid amerikkans and their weird time zones.

It always surprises me that some people still don't know what timezone they are in.

Eastern Time United States (examples: New Jersey, Florida)

EST = UTC(GMT)-05:00
EDT = UTC(GMT)-04:00

EST = Eastern Standard Time
EDT = Eastern Daylight Time so Daylight Savings is in effect.

Currently the Eastern Time zone is observing Daylight Savings (Ends on the first Sunday in November [November 1st]).

Amsterdam, Netherlands

UTC(GMT)+01:00

Launch window opens 08:00 EDT Wednesday 28 October 2009
Launch window closes 12:00 EDT Wednesday 28 October 2009

Opens:

08:00:00 (8:00AM) Wednesday 28 October 2009 in EDT
13:00:00 (1:00PM) Wednesday 28 October 2009 in Amsterdam / Netherlands

Closes:

12:00:00 (12:00PM) Wednesday 28 October 2009 in EDT
17:00:00 (5:00PM) Wednesday 28 October 2009 in Amsterdam / Netherlands

Nicely put, Nefarious.

I myself am in the GMT-4 zone. Since we are in this subject, here is a good site to help find out in which time zone any of you are in: http://www.worldtimezone.com/

GMT+10 here.

Perfect launch!

Good to know they're not fucking up.

OH GOD I SEE THE FACE OF SATAN IN THE EXHAUST CLOUDS!

discuss.

Rim, that's just Jack Thompson. See, there's his hair!

Goddamn. I missed it.

Luckily for you, i've recorded the launch and uploaded it to YouTube, but its still processing.

Until then, here's a video by NASA: http://mfile3.akamai.com/18566/wmv/etouchsyst2.download.akamai.com/18355/wm.nasa-global/ksc/ksc_102809_ares_launch.asx

i love you atom, i was in school and missed it

HD video of the Ares I-X launch:


(Direct Link, QuickTime movie, 1080i 185 MB)