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NASA juggles manifest for future Ares test flights
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Posted: November 4, 2009


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One week after the first major flight test of the agency's new Ares 1 rocket, NASA is closer to cancelling a demonstration launch called Ares 1-Y, potentially replacing it with a new, still undefined test flight in 2012 or 2013.


Animation of the high-altitude abort in the Ares 1-Y test flight. Credit: NASA
 
During a meeting last week, managers agreed to re-evaluate the proposed suborbital Ares 1-Y flight most recently scheduled for March 2014, according to a posting on a NASA Web site.

NASA spokesman Grey Hautaluoma confirmed the report, saying Ares 1-Y had slipped too late in the development of the Ares 1 rocket to be valuable to engineers.

"Ares 1-Y just didn't have enough fidelity to give them much useful data that late in the test program," Hautaluoma said.

Originally planned for 2012, the Ares 1-Y launch date had slipped until 2014, just one year before NASA says it will fly the first crewed Orion capsule on top of an Ares 1.

"It simply does not fit where we are headed," said Jeff Hanley, Constellation program manager. "The test vehicle was intended to meet evolving needs but the current configuration is too different from what the program requires to certify the Ares/Orion vehicle systems."

NASA is also studying a new flight, tentatively called Ares 1-X Prime, that would fly in 2012 or 2013 with new objectives to better support development of the Ares 1.

Managers are hopeful the Ares 1's five-segment first stage solid rocket motor could be ready for a test launch by that time. The five-segment booster was fired in a ground test for the first time in September, and another developmental motor will be ignited next summer.

Other details of the proposed Ares 1-X Prime mission are still on the drawing board, Hautaluoma said.

Hanley addressed future Ares 1 test flights during press conferences surrounding last week's Ares 1-X launch.

"Our flight test program is something we constantly have under review with respect to schedule, budget and content," Hanley said.

Funding will be the driver for adding another test flight to the manifest, according to NASA.

"We will be looking at our opportunities to perhaps do more flight testing, but that will also be predicated on the budget," Hanley said.

Ares 1-Y was to include a five-segment first stage, a flight production second stage and a functioning command module and abort system. The Orion service module and upper stage J-2X engine would be simulated on the flight.

Officials were studying adding a J-2X engine to Ares 1-Y if a flight unit was ready in 2014.

 
Artist's concept of an Ares 1 rocket launch. Credit: NASA
 
"We are continually looking at our flight test program," Hanley said last week. "We will actually take another look at our flight test program after this flight is done. What did we learn? Is there anything we want to change with respect to our approach to flight testing in the future? All of that will be under review after we get the results of this mission behind us and do the lessons learned on it."

The J-2X burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and is based on the J-2 engine flown on the second stage of the Saturn 5 moon rocket. J-2X engines should begin hotfire testing in Mississippi by early 2011, according to NASA officials.

Program managers will take their Ares 1-Y recommendation to senior agency officials at NASA Headquarters for a final decision.

"Now, with the Constellation program nearing its preliminary design review and with maturing vehicles and systems, managers agree the 1-Y test objectives can be achieved through other tests already in the manifest," the NASA blog posting said.

Ares 1-Y's objectives included a high-altitude abort using small rockets designed to lift the Orion spacecraft to safety from a failing booster. That goal can be incorporated into abort tests at White Sands Missile Range in 2012 and 2013, and also on the first unpiloted Orion flight in 2014.

The first test flight of the launch abort system next spring will simulate an abort from the launch pad.

"Removing the Ares 1-Y flight test eliminates a unique vehicle configuration that must be designed and managed separately from the objective designs of Ares and Orion," the NASA statement said. "It allows the team to focus on achieving a first launch of a thoroughly verified system and represents a tightening of the program as a function of its maturation that will ultimately save money needed for other tests."

Cancellation of Ares 1-Y would also free up funding that could be routed to the mainline development of Ares 1 and Orion.

Spaceflight Now Plus
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO: SPECTACULAR AERIAL FOOTAGE OF ARES 1-X LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO: FRIDAY'S UPDATE WITH ARES 1-X MISSION MANAGER PLAY
VIDEO: THE FIRST STAGE ROCKET IS TOWED INTO PORT PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: ARES 1-X LAUNCHES ON FLIGHT TEST PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ONBOARD VIDEO CAMERA 1 PLAY
VIDEO: ONBOARD VIDEO CAMERA 2 PLAY
VIDEO: NARRATED OVERVIEW OF ARES 1-X FLIGHT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: INSIGHTS INTO THE PARACHUTE SYSTEM PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PAD PERIMETER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: BEACH TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PRESS SITE CAMERA 1 PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PRESS SITE CAMERA 2 PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: POWERFUL UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: FROM ATLAS 5'S COMPLEX 41 PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAMERA IN FRONT OF PAD 39B PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: FROM PAD 39A WITH ATLANTIS PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAYS: VIP SITE AT BANANA CREEK PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: NARRATED REVIEW OF LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF THE FIRST COUNT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: WORKERS STRUGGLE TO REMOVE PROBE COVER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH ATK BOSS PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: MONDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO: SUNDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS AND WEATHER BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO: NASA LEADERS CLEAR ARES 1-X FOR FLIGHT PLAY
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF THE ARES 1-X TEST FLIGHT PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: DAZZLING AERIAL VIEWS OF ARES 1-X PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ARES 1-X BATHED IN LIGHT AT NIGHT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: SUNSET AT PAD 39B LAST THURSDAY PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ROTATING SERVICE STRUCTURE MOVED PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF GANTRY MOVING AWAY FOR TEST PLAY

VIDEO: ROLLOUT IN FAST-FORWARD PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: TIME-LAPSE OF PAD ARRIVAL PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PAD'S STABILIZATION ARMS GRAB THE ROCKET PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ARES 1-X ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD 39B PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ROLLOUT FROM ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE INSIDE ARES 1-X? PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: A LITTLE PUSHING AND SHOVING IN THE VAB PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ARES 1-X ROCKET ASSEMBLY IN FAST-FORWARD PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: FULLY ASSEMBLED ARES 1-X POWERED UP PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: TOPPING ARES 1-X WITH MOCK ORION CAPSULE PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ADDING SUPER STACK TO THE ARES 1-X ROCKET PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASSEMBLING THE UPPER STAGE SIMULATOR PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: FORWARD SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER SEGMENT PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: WORKERS ADD NEXT SECTION OF THE ROCKET PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: FIRST SEGMENT PLACED ON MOBILE LAUNCHER PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PREPS FOR STACKING THE ARES 1-X ROCKET PLAY | HI-DEF

VIDEO: TWO LAUNCH CONTROL CENTERS WILL BE USED PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: FAMED CONTROL ROOM HANDED TO ARES ROCKETS PLAY
VIDEO: VEHICLE STABILIZATION ARMS INSTALLED PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: ASTRONAUT WALKWAY REMOVED FROM PAD 39B PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: BEANIE CAP REMOVED FROM LAUNCH PAD 39B PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PAD 39B'S OLD LIGHTNING MAST REMOVED PLAY | HI-DEF
VIDEO: PAD 39B'S NEW LIGHTNING TOWERS COMPLETED PLAY | HI-DEF
MORE: ARES 1-X VIDEO COVERAGE
HDTV: HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO COVERAGE
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