Ares 1-X flies! - October 28, 2009
NASA's successor to the space shuttle, the Ares 1, has successfully completed it's first experimental test flight. The Ares 1-X lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 11:30AM local time after a morning of weather delays. Roughly 40 km above the Atlantic ocean the first stage of the rocket successfully separated, marking the end of the test.
The successful test comes at a critical time for NASA, which is under enormous budgetary pressures. Earlier this autumn, an independent presidential panel suggested it might be cheaper to cancel the Ares 1 vehicle and move the money into commercial development.
NASA TV is replaying the launch for anyone who wants a look.
credit: NASA
Comments
The Ares-I solid booster pumps extraordinary tonnages of chloride exhaust directly into the ozone layer, 15-35 km altitude. Ares' second stage ignites at 40 km altitude.
http://homepage.mac.com/cliff_huston/.public/Ozone_Alt.PNG
Posted by: Uncle Al | October 28, 2009 06:45 PM
An extremely successful launch today but the Obama administration wants to kill the program. Sound familiar? Since it didn't disintegrate on the pad they trash talk it. NASA has been underfunded for years reusing a shuttle that should have been retired years ago and last week the Obama administration cut funding for the Constellation Lunar Lander. Its not the program its about doing it on the cheap. Its not about the direction NASA wants to take its about putting it on the back burner. Its really about commitment or in this case the lack of it. The Obama administration is about excuses, delays and so-called change spending money in all the wrong places. At least Kennedy got it right. How about getting Ares 1 on the fast track to replace the shuttle? Is it too much for you boys to handle or are you going to continue to waste taxpayer money on archaic wind turbines?
Posted by: Harold | October 29, 2009 03:16 PM