Ares I-X On-board High Speed Main Parachute Footage

What happened after the booster separation of Ares I-X

Amazing NASA aerial video footage of the Ares 1-X test flight including what happened after the solid rocket booster (SRB) separation. The SRB appears to barge the Orion dummy capsule out of the way, although they probably never touched in reality. The SRB then proceeds on its tumbling freefall trajectory, eventually deploying the drone chute at a relatively low altitude prior to releasing all three of the main parachutes. At this point one of the parachute canopies collapses due to a cord failure and with the parachute still partially attached to the booster it interferes with a second parachute. The resulting 50% loss of drag causes the SRB to splash into the ocean at a much greater vertical and horizontal velocity than normal. This high velocity splashdown is believed to have caused the crease to the Ares I-X outer rocket casing and similar damage has been seen on Space Shuttle boosters following parachute failures.

Tumbling ARES 1-X 2nd stage after 1st stage booster separation was predicted in flight simulations prior to launch.  The expected tumble was caused by the upper stage's unusual centre of gravity due to the location of dummy fuel loads and the lack of 2nd stage J-2X engine to stabilise the vehicle following separation http://j.mp/49wBsG

Buckling of ARES-I X booster was due to a heavy sea landing at an angle.  Only one of the three parachutes deployed correctly, one failed completely and interferred with a second parachute reducing its effectiveness http://j.mp/25H9b7

NASA Post ARES I X Launch Press Briefing

A jubilant NASA launch team talk about the ARES I-X launch which took place earlier today. Despite a rogue freighter entering the launch safety exclusion zone, the delayed removal of a reluctant probe cover, red green red green weather conditions and launchpad lightning strikes yesterday, Ares I-X eventually made it to sub-orbit today with very little drama. The only unexpected observation so far appears to be the tumbling of the upper stage after separation.

ARES I X Development Rocket Test Flight

Launch video of the ARES I-X Rocket from Kennedy Space Center on 28th October 2009, the first launch of a new crew launch vehicle system which is intended to replace the Space Shuttle for transporting Astronauts to the International Space Station and facilitate rendezvous with exploration support modules and landers for missions beyond Earth's orbit.

However this maybe the first and last flight for the Ares 1 concept since the recent Augustine Commission report favors the development of a COTS solution for crew transport to Low Earth Orbit rather than one developed by NASA.

ARES I X Rocket Post Flight Test Readiness Review Press Conference

NASA press briefing for ARES I-X which took place earlier today following the FTRR meeting with all the engineering teams involved. The flight test launch vehicle was cleared to launch from the Kennedy Space Center, which is currently scheduled for Tuesday 27th October 2009 at 8am EDT subject to acceptable weather conditions.

Ares I-X Flight Test Mission Animated Simulation

Video animation of the ARES 1-X flight test which explains the planned sequence of events during launch. This will be the first flight of NASA's new crew launch vehicle concept which combines an adapted Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) motor for the Launch Vehicle with an Apollo Command Module like capsule on top to simulate the flight characteristics of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV).

For detailed information on the ARES I-X flight test this is the official NASA webpage which includes the press kit, fact sheet, mission specification, launch blog, image and video gallery http://j.mp/3pnp1H

Following its Flight Test Readiness Review Meeting today, the Ares I-X Rocket has been given the go ahead to launch on the 27th October. You can follow the launch preparation on twitter here http://j.mp/Y4B5o

Ares launch vehicle projects office quarterly progress report 12

Not a single Astronaut in this video, just the engineers working on the development of the Ares I crew launch vehicle and Ares V heavy-lift cargo launch vehicle. A lot of negative press surrounds this program, but there are precious few government projects that are ever completed on time and inside budget, if they were, funding would never be approved in the first place.

If you take the view that there is far too little public spending on Space Exploration, then perhaps a large unstoppable oil tanker of a space program is the best platform to expand frontiers in Space, spawn new technologies and inspire more of the population to pursue a career in science and engineering.