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NASA and ATK Successfully Test Ares First Stage Rocket

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NASA and industry engineers lit up the Utah sky Thursday with the initial full-scale, full-duration test firing of the first stage motor for the Ares I rocket. The Ares I is a crew launch vehicle in development for NASA’s Constellation Program.

ATK Space Systems conducted the successful stationary firing of the five-segment solid development motor 1, or DM-1. ATK Space Systems, a division of Alliant Techsystems of Brigham City, Utah, is the prime contractor for the Ares I first stage. Engineers will use the measurements gathered from the test to evaluate thrust, roll control, acoustics and motor vibrations. This data will provide valuable information as NASA develops the Ares I and Ares V vehicles. Another ground test is planned for summer 2010.

“With this test, we have taken lessons learned from many years of experience in solid rocket motor development and have built on that foundation,” said Alex Priskos, first stage manager for Ares Projects at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. “Our team collected data from 650 sensors today to evaluate the motor’s performance. This test and those that follow are essential to understanding as many aspects of our motor as possible, including strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately delivering the safest and most reliable motor possible.”

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This was the second attempt to conduct the two-minute rocket test at ATK’s test stand in Promontory, Utah. The first test on Aug. 27 was canceled with 20 seconds left in the countdown because of a problem with a component of the ground controller unit, which sends power to the system that moves the nozzle during the test. Through a detailed investigation, the engineering team pinpointed the problem and replaced the faulty part.

The first stage motor will generate up to 3.6 million pounds of thrust, or lifting power, at launch. Although similar to the solid rocket boosters that help power the space shuttle to orbit, the Ares development motor includes several upgrades and technology improvements implemented by NASA and ATK engineers.

Motor upgrades from a shuttle booster include the addition of a fifth segment, a larger nozzle throat, and upgraded insulation and liner. The forward motor segment also has been improved for performance by adding another fin, or slot in the propellant. This change in the geometry of the propellant provides additional surface area for burning the solid fuel, which results in greater thrust.

The DM-1 nozzle throat is three inches wider in diameter than the nozzle used for the shuttle. The bigger nozzle throat allows the motor to handle the additional thrust from the five-segment booster. It also meets NASA’s structural requirements to stay within the pressure capacity of the existing steel cases — the large, barrel-shaped cylinders that house the fuel — ensuring safety and reliability. Upgrades also were made to the insulation and liner that protect the first stage’s steel cases.

The motor cases are flight proven hardware used on shuttle launches for more than three decades. The cases used in this ground test have collectively flown on 48 previous missions, including STS-1, the first shuttle flight.

Marshall manages the Ares Projects and is responsible for design and development of the Ares I rocket and Ares V heavy cargo launch vehicle. NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston manages the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I, Ares V, Orion crew module and Altair lunar lander. The program also includes multiple project teams at NASA centers and contract organizations around the United States.

Posted
September 10th, 2009

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Space Frontier Foundation Says Terminate Ares I Rocket

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PRESS RELEASE
Space Frontier Foundation
Date Released: Wednesday, August 19, 2009

In the wake of the Augustine Commission’s declaration that the troubled Ares rocket program is unaffordable under any realistic budget projections, the Space Frontier Foundation renewed its call to immediately cancel the costly dead-end project and replace it with multiple commercial vehicles. “Three years ago we published Unaffordable and Unsustainable, declaring that government must henceforth ‘buy all crew and cargo services with a destination of low Earth orbit [from] commercial providers using privately-owned and operated spaceships’,” said Foundation co-Founder Bob Werb.

“For over a decade, we’ve said that continuing to try and develop new government rockets costs too much and delays human exploration beyond Earth orbit,” added co-Founder Rick Tumlinson. “Pouring more money into Ares now is the equivalent of giving a taxpayer-funded I.V. to a corpse. Instead, let’s use those funds to give birth to a new and vibrant space transport industry that might actually make money
and open the space frontier to everyone.”

“Derivatives of proven commercial launch systems, and new ones under development, could meet any reasonable need for heavy lift,” said Foundation co-Founder, James Muncy. “The barrier is psychological: NASA will have to stop pretending it can design cost-effective launch vehicles and instead focus on exploration systems that fit on the launch vehicles taxpayers can really afford.”

Werb concluded: “The choice is clear. We can continue funding an overpriced, government space limousine, or we can kick-start a whole new industry that will reduce government’s costs and create new jobs. The tools of private sector innovation and competition offer our best and only chance to have affordable and sustainable human space exploration.”

Posted
August 19th, 2009

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Former NASA Chief Sees ISS as “Detriment” to America’s Future in Space

From Tuscaloosa News

Griffin said that NASA’s focus on continuing the space shuttle program and developing the International Space Station in partnership with other countries was to the detriment of America’s future in space. He noted that the shuttle is scheduled to be retired in another couple of years and there is no firm commitment to another space project on the scale of the moon landing.

Griffin said the U.S. should be in a leadership position on projects such as returning to the moon and going to Mars, rather than leaving the future of space to other countries such as Russia or China, both of whom have space programs.

View the Full Article at TuscaloosaNews.com

Posted
August 19th, 2009

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U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Statement on Threats to NASA’s Budget

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(Abvoe) Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 40th anniversary celebration held at the National Air and Space Museum.

TUCSON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, chairwoman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, today released the following statement on funding challenges facing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. According to a group led by Norm Augustine, the former CEO of Lockheed Martin, budget constraints make it virtually impossible to sustain manned missions to the Moon, Mars or further into space in coming decades.

The Augustine panel is telling us something we already knew — that NASA’s exploration program has been starved for funding and the good work being done by NASA’s civil servants and contractors risks being undone by shortsighted bean-counting.

Congress has spoken with near unanimity over the past four years in support of a robust initiative to explore our solar system, including utilization of the International Space Station and a return to the Moon on our way to other destinations. To achieve this goal, however, we need a sustained national commitment, including adequate funding.

The Obama Administration and Congress have a singular opportunity to ensure that America remains a preeminent space-faring nation over the coming decades. The rest of the world is watching, and my hope is that we step up to the challenge.

Posted
August 18th, 2009

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Lockheed Studies Manned Orion Asteroid Mission

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Lockheed Martin Space Systems is studying mission concepts which involve docking two Orion capsules nose-to-nose for fast track science missions to Near Earth Objects – asteroids.

Twin Orion CEV’s (Crew Exploration Vehicles) can be launched for a six-month mission to a Near Earth Object (asteroid) as early as 2018. The two-Orion configuration provides additional habitat volume, provisions, propellant and redundancy without the need for development of any new Constellation elements.

This could provide an early opportunity for an operational exploration mission prior to a lunar mission while supporting NASA’s high priority science objectives and serving as a pathfinder for Mars missions, thereby validating Orion’s design for long duration deep space missions. An Orion crewed mission to libration points could provide a servicing capability for the James Webb Space Telescope or other science platforms.

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Orion’s considerable capabilities are a result of its design to operate beyond low Earth orbit in a variety of extremely demanding and harsh environments. Currently, Orion is the only human rated vehicle that can perform missions to the moon, to nearby asteroids and other destinations in our solar system.

Posted
August 18th, 2009

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NASA Completes Assembly of Ares I-X Test Rocket

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For the first time in more than a quarter-century a new space vehicle stands ready in NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building. The Ares I-X rocket, its simulated crew module and launch abort system are assembled on a mobile launch platform at Kennedy in preparation for launch this fall.

The final segments of the Ares I-X were stacked on Aug. 13, completing the 327-foot launch vehicle and providing the first look at the finished rocket’s distinctive shape. The Ares I-X flight test is targeted for Oct. 31.

“More than three years of hard work with the NASA and contractor team has brought us to this historic moment,” said Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager. “This flight test is a critical step in continuing our design process for the Ares vehicle and the first flight for the Constellation Program.”

The Ares I-X is wired with more than 700 sensors to gather data during the two-and-a-half minute flight test. The launch will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I crew launch vehicle. The data collected during the launch will allow NASA to gather critical data during ascent of the integrated Orion spacecraft and the Ares I rocket.

Now that the Ares I-X is assembled, numerous evaluations will be run on all the rocket systems, including complex instruments that will constantly measure the vehicle’s movements as it launches and the first stage separates. The evaluations include a process called “modal testing,” which will shake the stack slightly to test stiffness of the rocket, including the pinned and bolted joints.

Posted
August 16th, 2009

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Orion Abort Flight Test Crew Module Departs Dryden For White Sands Missile Range

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The Orion crew module that will be used for the first launch abort system Pad Abort 1 flight test is scheduled to depart NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center Aug. 19 for the White Sands Missile Range, N.M., where the launch abort tests will be performed.

Similar to the Apollo crew module, the Orion capsule also has a launch abort system to make it possible for the crew to escape from the launch rocket should something go wrong on the pad or during the ascent to orbit.

At Dryden, engineers and technicians installed instrumentation, electrical wiring, computer systems, avionics, parachutes, thermal ducting, acoustic blankets and a Space Integrated Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System.

Numerous tests were conducted on the Orion test capsule while at Dryden. Large-scale test rigs were fabricated to closely measure the weight and center of gravity of the crew module. Vibration and acoustics tests were then completed to assess the effects of an abort motor firing on both the structure and internal electronics of the crew module. Finally, a combined systems test was conducted to verify the flight readiness of the flight control, antenna, pyrotechnic, and ground control systems. That test was also used as a dress rehearsal for mission operations.

Once at White Sands, the launch abort system and crew module will undergo further combined systems testing, followed by mounting of the launch abort system atop the crew module. The Orion crew module for the Pad Abort 1 test is the same size, shape and weight of the spacecraft that will be used on missions to the International Space Station and beyond. Since there will be no crew on board for the launch abort tests, the crew module will not have seats, life support systems, or other crew equipment.

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Over 600 sensors were installed on the crew module and launch abort systems. These sensors measure pressures, temperatures, accelerations, acoustics, and structural strain. A high-speed video camera was also installed to capture the inflation and dynamics of the three 116-foot recovery parachutes.

The first of five planned abort tests, Pad Abort 1, is scheduled for early 2010 from the new launch pad at White Sands. Two of the tests will evaluate the performance of the launch abort system from ground level, simulating an abort while astronauts are on the pad waiting for launch. Three more tests will evaluate the launch abort system performance at different altitudes and speeds using an excess Peacekeeper rocket, provided by the U.S. Air Force, to carry the crew module to the proper test conditions.

For the pad abort test, the launch abort system’s abort motor will be ignited, lifting the Orion crew module test article to an altitude of about one mile, where the launch abort system will jettison itself approximately 22 seconds after the launch. Parachutes will deploy to land the vehicle on the desert floor. NASA has developed additional methods to abort a launch using the Orion service module and the crew module during the high altitude portion of the climb to orbit.

Posted
August 14th, 2009

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SPACE WALLPAPER: 1963 Lunar Lander Model

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(Above) This 1963 model depicts an early Apollo lunar lander concept, called a “bug.” Engineers designed several possible vehicle shapes for both manned and unmanned landers. In 1961, Bruce Lundin, former director of NASA’s Lewis Research Center (now Glenn), chaired a NASA study group that assessed a variety of ways to accomplish a lunar landing mission.

DOWNLOAD FULL SIZE WALLPAPER

Posted
August 14th, 2009

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U.S. Likely Won’t Send Man Back to Moon by 2020

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The Washington Post:

NASA doesn’t have nearly enough money to meet its goal of putting astronauts back on the moon by 2020 — and it might be the wrong place to go, anyway. That’s one of the harsh messages emerging from a sweeping review of NASA’s human space flight program.

The Human Space Flight Plans Committee, appointed by President Obama and headed by retired aerospace executive Norman Augustine, has been trying to stitch together some kind of plausible strategy for America’s manned space program. The panel has struggled to find options that stay under the current budget and include missions worthy of the cost and effort.

View the Full Article at The Washington Post

Posted
August 14th, 2009

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Ariane 5′s potential role in U.S. Human Space Flight

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Ariane 5 is available to support the future of U.S. space exploration, including cargo resupply flights for the International Space Station, along with missions to the Moon and Mars.

This was the message of Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall in a presentation to the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, which was created to evaluate America’s future human spaceflight operations after the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) planned retirement of the Space Shuttle.

“Originally human-rated, the Ariane 5 has adapted to its present day role as the leading large capacity launch vehicle for satellite operators and international partners the world over,” Le Gall explained during his committee presentation in Washington, D.C. “The Ariane 5 can reach lunar orbit, the lunar surface, and Mars – objectives that are compatible with NASA’s exploration missions.”

Le Gall underscored Ariane 5’s payload capabilities and its maturity as a proven, capable heavy-lift launch vehicle. He noted that Ariane 5 has performed 45 launches to date, with 31 consecutive successes since 2003. The vehicle’s heavy-lift payload capacity enables it to deliver 20 metric tons to low Earth orbit, seven metric tons to lunar transfer orbit, and five metric tons to Mars.

Arianespace’s ability to meet customers’ mission timing requirements also was highlighted by Le Gall, who underscored the company’s flight rate of seven Ariane 5 missions per year, and the sustained manufacturing output – with 46 launch vehicles currently in production.

One key issue to be reviewed by the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee is resupply support for the International Space Station after the Space Shuttle’s removal from service. NASA has selected U.S. contractors to develop commercial cargo resupply services (CRS) to replace the capacity provided by Space Shuttle flights – but there is concern of a possible gap if these new systems cannot be ready in time. The result could be a shortfall of 3-12 metric tons in annual cargo delivery from 2010 to 2015.

Ariane 5 is able to offer gap-filler resupply services, Le Gall explained, having already demonstrated its capabilities by launching Europe’s first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to the International Space Station last year. With a liftoff mass of approximately 20,750 kg., the ATV is able to deliver 7,750 kg. of cargo to the orbital station – providing cargo, fuel, water, air and supplies for its crew.

“Ariane 5-ATV cargo resupply can offer gap-filler services until CRS providers fully meet NASA requirements, and this approach can sustain the architecture for future U.S. human spaceflight by ensuring utilization of the completed International Space Station,” Le Gall said. “Ariane 5 is fully available with 31 successes in a row – including last year’s perfect flight with the first ATV – which I feel is quite important, and this flight-proven system meets NASA’s space station resupply requirements.”

He added that Ariane 5 also continues the application of international collaboration for International Space Station operations, which is a point that has been stressed by at least one member of the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee.

Le Gall noted that Ariane 5’s operating base at the Spaceport is a modern facility that meets all Western safety standards. Located on NATO territory, its security is maintained at the same level as for NATO allies’ nuclear forces.

Posted
August 11th, 2009

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