Dare I say, but the Ares I is just plain butt ugly. I never thought I would say that about a rocket, but it just is.
> Dare I say, but the Ares I is just plain butt ugly==
Turd on a stick was one quip.
But, its likely to fly worse.
;/
I’m willing to bet that no matter what happens, the “test” will be declared a success.
Ok, rookie question here,, just heard comments on the live coverage for the launch. Stated that it is a 4 segment solid with a dummy 5th and a simulator on top for the second stage. From an engineering stand point, what are they testing today?
Dave – thats not so much a rookie question – more than a few of us are wondering that as well. Its never really been clear.
The claim is they are “validating their testing models”
They’re testing whether they can get away with putting on a sham of a test as justification for spending billions of dollars of tax payer money with little to show for it.
Additionally, one might say that they are testing whether even this simplified configuration will work at all. If it doesn’t then they are pretty well and truly fucked. Not that they won’t try soaking up as much budget as possible regardless of what happens.
For a “proven” launch vehicle design using “existing technology”, they sure are starting at ground zero on this testing regime. When was the last time a rocket was tested with all dummy upper stages?
“When was the last time a rocket was tested with all dummy upper stages?”
Not too sure about anywhere else, but IIRC in the US it was the first four Saturn Is (which, by the logic some have used to oppose Ares I-X, would never have flown…)
There may have been some early Minuteman & Polaris tests around that same time, as well.
I’m pretty sure that one of the (unstated) goals of this rocket flight at the beginning was ‘get some hardware flying while the guy who came up with the plan (VSE) is still in office.’
There are some good things to say about Ares I-X however. For one, as Clark Lindsey has pointed out, it’s really, really tall. Another thing is it uses Atlas avionics. The tall bit really works well on LC-39. They should put dummy Ares I’s on both pads permanently. Turn it into some sort of museum. And then rely on Atlas for the real work.
I’m hoping it augurs into the mud up to its empennage 🙂
For the early Saturns , I and IB, they used dummy upper-stages, which isn’t necessarily a bad idea.
Of course, using dummy lower stages – thats a first
Ares survives to see another sunset. Thanks to a wayward cargo ship.
DAMN. I wanted to see it crash and kill the Ares program.
🙁
.
Its nothing but a PR stunt, and it lookedlike it got good PR.
I’m hoping it crashes into the pad!
Dare I say, but the Ares I is just plain butt ugly. I never thought I would say that about a rocket, but it just is.
> Dare I say, but the Ares I is just plain butt ugly==
Turd on a stick was one quip.
But, its likely to fly worse.
;/
I’m willing to bet that no matter what happens, the “test” will be declared a success.
Ok, rookie question here,, just heard comments on the live coverage for the launch. Stated that it is a 4 segment solid with a dummy 5th and a simulator on top for the second stage. From an engineering stand point, what are they testing today?
Dave – thats not so much a rookie question – more than a few of us are wondering that as well. Its never really been clear.
The claim is they are “validating their testing models”
They’re testing whether they can get away with putting on a sham of a test as justification for spending billions of dollars of tax payer money with little to show for it.
Additionally, one might say that they are testing whether even this simplified configuration will work at all. If it doesn’t then they are pretty well and truly fucked. Not that they won’t try soaking up as much budget as possible regardless of what happens.
For a “proven” launch vehicle design using “existing technology”, they sure are starting at ground zero on this testing regime. When was the last time a rocket was tested with all dummy upper stages?
“When was the last time a rocket was tested with all dummy upper stages?”
Not too sure about anywhere else, but IIRC in the US it was the first four Saturn Is (which, by the logic some have used to oppose Ares I-X, would never have flown…)
There may have been some early Minuteman & Polaris tests around that same time, as well.
I’m pretty sure that one of the (unstated) goals of this rocket flight at the beginning was ‘get some hardware flying while the guy who came up with the plan (VSE) is still in office.’
There are some good things to say about Ares I-X however. For one, as Clark Lindsey has pointed out, it’s really, really tall. Another thing is it uses Atlas avionics. The tall bit really works well on LC-39. They should put dummy Ares I’s on both pads permanently. Turn it into some sort of museum. And then rely on Atlas for the real work.
I’m hoping it augurs into the mud up to its empennage 🙂
For the early Saturns , I and IB, they used dummy upper-stages, which isn’t necessarily a bad idea.
Of course, using dummy lower stages – thats a first
Ares survives to see another sunset. Thanks to a wayward cargo ship.
DAMN. I wanted to see it crash and kill the Ares program.
🙁
.
Its nothing but a PR stunt, and it lookedlike it got good PR.