Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation program . The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares , who is identified with the Roman god Mars . Ares I was originally known as the "Crew Launch Vehicle" (CLV).
145-481: Ares I-X was the first-stage prototype and design concept demonstrator of Ares I , a launch system for human spaceflight developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Ares I-X was successfully launched on October 28, 2009. The project cost was $ 445 million. It was the final launch from LC-39B until Artemis 1 13 years later. The Ares I-X vehicle used in the test flight
290-480: A circular error probable (CEP) of about 0.1 miles (160 m), and especially the ability to be quickly re-programmed to attack any targets needed. In comparison, the Minuteman II had a selection of eight targets, any one of which could be quickly selected for attack, but otherwise selecting a target outside this pre-computed list was not something that could be done "on the fly". WS-120A's preferred basing mode
435-598: A Commission on Strategic Forces, better known as the Scowcroft Commission. In overall terms, the most important conclusion of the Scowcroft Commission was that the " window of vulnerability " in regard to the Soviet capability to attack US ICBMs never existed in the first place. The report examined a wide array of potential attack scenarios, and demonstrated that none allowed the Soviets to significantly blunt
580-431: A Soviet launch, with ample time to plan a response. However, it would not be until much later in the sequence of events that land-based radars would be able to track the incoming individual warheads and determine the targets. In the case of a limited counterforce attack, it would be desirable to wait until the individual targeted silos were determined, determine which Soviet missiles had not been launched, and then launch only
725-596: A US response, nor seriously limit its options in the flexible response policy. Delivered 6 April 1983, the report suggested deploying 100 MX in existing Minuteman silos as a "demonstration of national will", but in other ways basically suggested eliminating both MX and Minuteman and replacing them with a small single-warhead mobile ICBM. On 10 August, the Secretary of Defense ordered 100 Peacekeepers be deployed at Warren AFB in Wyoming and began development of what became
870-615: A common bulkhead, similar to that used on both the S-II and S-IVB stages of the Saturn V, would have been used between the tanks. The savings from these changes were used to increase propellant capacity, which was 297,900 pounds (135,100 kg). LGM-118A Peacekeeper The LGM-118 Peacekeeper , originally known as the MX for "Missile, Experimental", was a MIRV -capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) produced and deployed by
1015-528: A completely protected and mobile platform, what capabilities did MX add? A compromise was eventually developed in mid-1983. Under this scheme, 100 missiles would be deployed in existing Minuteman silos to "show national will". The plan also called for the removal of the old and accident-prone liquid fueled Titan II from use. However, this did not address the problem the MX was originally intended to solve, providing high survivability. This would later be addressed through
1160-594: A contractor owned and operated (COGO) facility and modifications for the Delta IV H were determined to be similar to those required for Ares I. The ESAS launch safety estimates for the Ares were based on the Space Shuttle, despite the differences, and included only launches after the post-Challenger Space Shuttle redesign. The estimate counted each Shuttle launch as two safe launches of the Ares booster. The safety of
1305-474: A counterclockwise flat spin , almost immediately after staging. After initial concerns that the motion might have been caused by a collision between the USS and the first stage, further analysis showed that no actual recontact happened and that the tumble had been one of the possible behaviours predicted by pre-flight simulations. The USS was not a precise match to the characteristics of a real Ares I upper stage, and
1450-793: A crew capsule, similar in design to the Apollo program capsule, to transport astronauts to the International Space Station , the Moon , and eventually Mars . Ares I might have also delivered some (limited) resources to orbit , including supplies for the International Space Station or subsequent delivery to the planned lunar base . NASA selected Alliant Techsystems, the builder of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters , as
1595-604: A damaging, but not decisive, attack on the US ICBM fleet. This scenario was of deep concern to the Air Force as it became ever more dependent on Minuteman for most strategic missions. The Air Force had depended on engineering support from TRW during the early days of the development of their ICBM force. In 1960 a number of TRW and other engineers involved in the ICBM program formed The Aerospace Corporation , initially working on
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#17327718981061740-539: A fifth segment to the solid-rocket first stage, and replace the single SSME with the Apollo-derived J-2X motor. While the change from a four-segment first stage to a five-segment version would allow NASA to construct virtually identical motors, the main reason for the change to the five-segment booster was the move to the J-2X. The Exploration Systems Architecture Study concluded that the cost and safety of
1885-444: A flame 200 feet (61 meters) in length, and preliminary data showed the igniter performed as planned. Development of the Ares I propulsion elements continued to make strong progress. On September 10, 2009, the first Ares I development motor (DM-1) was successfully tested in a full-scale, full-duration test firing. This test was followed by two more development motor tests, DM-2 on August 31, 2010, and DM-3 on September 8, 2011. For DM-2
2030-511: A force of approximately 30 missiles was going to be a reasonable deterrent, each missile would need to carry 20 or more warheads. To launch them, the study introduced the "ICBM-X", a massive new 156-inch (400 cm) diameter design, well over twice the diameter of the existing LGM-30 Minuteman , and larger even than the Titan II "heavy" design at 120 inches (300 cm). Any of the "Golden Arrow" concepts would be extremely expensive, and in
2175-622: A ladder and ring-shaped platform to allow access to the sensors and cabling for the developmental flight instrumentation. The stairs and platforms were necessary because Launch Complex 39B is not tall enough to provide crew access to the upper parts of Ares I-X. The active roll control system (RoCS) was needed because the flight test vehicle had a tendency to roll around its axis of forward motion. The RoCS for Ares I-X consisted of two modules containing engines originally used on now-decommissioned Peacekeeper missiles . The RoCS performed two primary functions: The RoCS modules, placed on opposite sides of
2320-409: A maximum dynamic pressure ("Max Q") of approximately 800 pounds per square foot (38 kPa). The Ares I-X flight profile resembled the uncrewed Saturn I flights of the 1960s, which tested the Saturn propulsion concept. By flying the vehicle through first-stage separation, the test flight also verified the performance and dynamics of the Ares I solid rocket booster in a "single stick" arrangement, which
2465-627: A new launch system, like the Apollo or Space Shuttle systems, it was normal for such problems to arise during the development stage. According to NASA, analysis of the data and telemetry from the Ares I-X flight showed that vibrations from thrust oscillation were within the normal range for a Space Shuttle flight. A study released in July 2009 by the 45th Space Wing of the US Air Force concluded that an abort 30–60 seconds after launch would have
2610-586: A normal Space Shuttle launch. The resulting damage was reported as "substantial," with both pad elevators rendered inoperable, all communication lines between the pad and launch control destroyed and all outdoor megaphones melted. The vehicle-facing portions of the Fixed Service Structure appear to have suffered extreme heat damage and scorching, as do the hinge columns supporting the Rotating Service Structure. This damage
2755-466: A number of Minuteman III silos similarly adapted over time to bring the force to a total of 100 missiles. Additionally, he suggested funding development of three additional concepts, airborne drops from cargo aircraft, an "active defense" using short-range anti-ballistic missile , or basing new silos deep underground or on the south side of mesas ("reverse-inclination basing"). The latter two quickly proved unacceptable for various reasons, while testing of
2900-483: A result of one of three main parachutes failing to deploy, as well as the failure of a second main parachute to remain deployed. It is unclear, at this point, what caused the apparent casing fracture and broken bracket, and NASA has not commented on this damage. The unpowered Upper Stage Simulator (USS), which was not meant to be retrieved, impacted further out into the Atlantic Ocean. The USS began to tumble, in
3045-567: A simplified Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) for the second stage. An uncrewed version was to use a five-segment booster with the same second stage. Shortly after the initial design was approved, additional tests revealed that the Orion spacecraft would be too heavy for the four-segment booster to lift, and in January 2006 NASA announced they would slightly reduce the size of the Orion spacecraft, add
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#17327718981063190-566: A system of multiple protective shelters linked by underground or aboveground roads, the so-called "Racetrack" proposal. Local opposition in Nevada was intense, and the concept gained a powerful enemy in the form of Senator Paul Laxalt . Initially support was high in Utah, especially in the Beaver County area; although opposition increased dramatically following a statement of disapproval by
3335-444: A test launch on October 28, 2009. Launch Pad 39B was damaged more than with a Space Shuttle launch. During descent, one of the three parachutes of the Ares I-X's first stage failed to open, and another opened only partially, causing the booster to splash down harder and suffer structural damage. The launch accomplished all primary test objectives. NASA completed the Ares I system requirements review in January 2007. Project design
3480-485: A worrying scenario; a Soviet first strike with a limited number of warheads aimed at the Minuteman silos or control bunkers could cripple the US ICBM fleet. At the time, the Soviets were only capable of mounting a limited attack. With the limited accuracy of Soviet missiles, only an attack with a small number of missiles carrying very large warheads (multi-megaton range) was feasible. They had just enough of these to make
3625-433: A ≈100% chance of killing all crew, due to the capsule being engulfed until ground impact by a cloud of 4,000 °F (2,200 °C) solid propellant fragments, which would melt the capsule's nylon parachute material. NASA's study showed the crew capsule would have flown beyond the more severe danger. The Ares I igniter was an advanced version of the flight-proven igniter used on the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters. It
3770-562: Is a mobile missile system that was developed by the United States Air Force during the 1980s as part of a plan to place fifty MGM-118A Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles on the rail network of the United States. The railcars were intended, in case of increased threat of nuclear war , to be deployed onto the nation's rail network to avoid being destroyed by a first strike counterforce attack by
3915-453: Is different from the solid rocket booster's then-current “double-booster” configuration alongside the external tank on the space shuttle. The Ares I-X vehicle consisted of a functional four-segment solid rocket booster (SRB) stage, a fifth segment mass simulator, an upper-stage simulator (USS), which was similar in shape and heavier than the actual upper stage, as well as a simulated Orion crew module (CM) and launch abort system (LAS). Since
4060-484: Is typical of expended Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters . However, recovery divers noted buckling of the lower portion. Reports also note an apparent fracture of the booster's forward segment casing and a fractured bracket that held an actuator, part of the SRM's nozzle vectoring system. A NASA memo states that engineers believe that the lower segment buckled when the first stage landed at a much higher speed than designed as
4205-597: The Atlas V and Delta IV was estimated from the failure rates of all Delta II , Atlas-Centaur , and Titan launches since 1992, although they are not similar designs. Ares I was the crew launch component of the Constellation program. Originally named the "Crew Launch Vehicle" or CLV, the Ares name was chosen from the Greek deity Ares . Unlike the Space Shuttle, where both crew and cargo were launched simultaneously on
4350-510: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory had been working on a new type of inertial platform that replaced the mechanical gimbals with a sphere floating in a thin layer of fluorocarbon fluid. The so-called "flimbal" (apparently for "FLoated Measurement BAL") would offer unprecedented accuracy and would be free from " gimbal lock ", a problem that caused conventional platforms to "tumble" and lose their accuracy. Like
4495-736: The J-2S engines and Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) for the second stage. The variants also assumed use of the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) as a first stage, but the ASRM was cancelled in 1993 due to significant cost overruns. President George W. Bush had announced the Vision for Space Exploration in January 2004, and NASA under Sean O'Keefe had solicited plans for a Crew Exploration Vehicle from multiple bidders, with
Ares I-X - Misplaced Pages Continue
4640-656: The Kwajalein Test Range in the Pacific. The first eight test flights were launched from an above ground canister on TP-01, with the remaining test and operational Strategic Air Command flights from silos (LF-02, −05, & -08) all located on North Vandenberg AFB. A total of 50 flight tests were accomplished. The operational missile was first manufactured in February 1984 and was deployed in December 1986 to
4785-526: The MGM-134 Midgetman . By this time both the US and USSR were beginning to field third-generation SLBMs with greatly improved accuracy. These now arguably had all of the capability of the land-based ICBMs, and were equally able to carry out the counterforce mission. Additionally, the submarines could maneuver much closer to their targets, greatly reducing the warning time, potentially to the point that
4930-431: The MGM-134 Midgetman . The Midgetman deliberately carried only one warhead and was highly mobile. Countering a single Midgetman would require the Soviets to blanket an area around its last known position with warheads. Even if this was successful, they would destroy only a single warhead. Faced with this choice, it was expected the Soviets would instead expend their warheads on easier targets. The Peacekeeper Rail Garrison
5075-545: The Mercury spacecraft , X-20 Dynasoar and various ICBM projects. In 1964, the Air Force contracted them to consider a wide variety of survivable ICBM approaches, under the name "Golden Arrow". The project considered road, rail, submarine and air-launched weapons. One of these suggested an air-launched ballistic missile . The proposal called for an enormous (for the day) turboprop -powered aircraft with two-day endurance carrying up to eight missiles that would be dropped out
5220-526: The Minuteman ICBM began in 1962, during the Cold War , and proceeded rapidly. Limited accuracy with a circular error probable (CEP) of about 0.6 to 0.8 nautical miles (1.1 to 1.5 km) and a small warhead of less than 1 megaton meant the system was unable to attack hardened targets like missile silos . This limited these early models to attacks on strategic targets like cities and ports, and
5365-675: The Rotating Service Structure . At 8:40 am on October 29, 2009, a hydrazine leak was detected on the 95-foot (29 m)-level, between the Payload Changeout Room and the Fixed Service Structure. Both leaks were capped without injury to personnel. Due to the Pad Avoidance Maneuver performed by Ares I-X, shortly after liftoff, the Fixed Service Structure at LC-39B received significantly more direct rocket exhaust than occurs during
5510-1043: The Soviet Union . However the plan was cancelled as part of defense cutbacks following the end of the Cold War , and the Peacekeeper missiles were installed in silo launchers as LGM-118s instead. The new ICBM was originally planned to be called "Peacemaker", but at the last minute was officially designated the LGM-118A Peacekeeper. It was first test fired on 17 June 1983, by the Air Force Systems Command Ballistic Missile Office (Norton AFB, CA), 6595th Missile Test Group (Vandenberg AFB, CA Strategic Air Command), and Martin Marietta, from Vandenberg AFB, California Test Pad-01, traveling 4,200 nautical miles (4,800 mi; 7,800 km) to strike successfully in
5655-487: The Space Shuttle External Tank , the new LH 2 and LOX tanks would have been separated by a common bulkhead like that employed on the Saturn V S-II and S-IVB stages. This would have provided a significant mass saving and eliminated the need to design a second stage interstage unit that would have had to carry the weight of the Orion spacecraft with it. In January 2008, NASA Watch revealed that
5800-468: The Space Shuttle retirement . Ares I-X was the only test flight of a launch vehicle like the Ares I. The test flight objectives included: The flight also had several secondary objectives, including: The Ares I-X flight profile closely approximated the flight conditions that the Ares I would expect to experience through Mach 4.5, at an altitude of about 130,000 feet (40,000 m) and through
5945-526: The Sprint system, to increase survivability. This was developed into the abortive Sentry program ." For MX, the Draper Laboratory developed SABRE into the " Advanced Inertial Reference Sphere " (AIRS). AIRS would have a drift rate of only 1.5 x 10 degrees per hour, allowing it to be periodically referenced to an external point, like the silo wall, and then left for extended periods of time. Over
Ares I-X - Misplaced Pages Continue
6090-713: The Strategic Air Command , 90th Strategic Missile Wing at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming in re-fitted Minuteman silos. However, the AIRS was not yet ready and the missiles were deployed with non-operational guidance units. AIRS had 19,000 parts and some of these required as many as 11,000 testing steps. Bogged down in paperwork due to government procurement policies, managers started bypassing official channels and buying replacement parts wherever they could be found, including claims that some of
6235-561: The UGM-133 Trident II , Congress had already cancelled the 100-missile option in July 1985. In that decision, Congress limited the deployment of Peacekeeper ICBMs to 50 missiles until a more "survivable" basing plan could be developed. Development of the rail garrison system was carried out in parallel. However, budgetary constraints and the dissolution of the Soviet Union led to its being scrapped. The National Museum of
6380-529: The United States from 1986 to 2005. The missile could carry up to eleven Mark 21 reentry vehicles (although treaties limited its actual payload to 10), each armed with a 300- kiloton W87 warhead . Initial plans called for building and deploying 100 MX ICBMs, but budgetary concerns limited the final procurement; only 50 entered service. Disarmament treaties signed after the Peacekeeper's development led to its withdrawal from service in 2005. Studies on
6525-513: The flexible response doctrine). Even if the Soviets attacked only the bombers, the US would be left with no counterforce approach, as both the Navy and Air Force missiles could only attack large targets. As the US Navy was quick to point out, their Polaris fleet's stealth and mobility would maintain a countervalue force under any possible scenario. This threatened the Air Force's supremacy in
6670-522: The leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . When Ronald Reagan took office, Laxalt's close ties with Reagan proved useful. Reagan canceled the new shelter system in 1981, calling it "a Rube Goldberg scheme". On 2 October 1981 he proposed deploying an initial force of missiles in the approximately 60 existing Titan II silos, removing those now outdated missiles from service. The silos would be modified for much greater strength, and
6815-503: The spacecraft intended for NASA human spaceflight missions after the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011. Ares I was to complement the larger, uncrewed Ares V , which was the cargo launch vehicle for Constellation. NASA selected the Ares designs for their anticipated overall safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness. However, the Constellation program, including Ares I, was cancelled by U.S. president Barack Obama in October 2010 with
6960-419: The "Advanced Stable Platform" (ASP). In May 1975 the first hand-built AIRS was transferred from Draper's laboratory to Northrop for further development. In July 1976, Congress refused to fund MX using a silo-based system on grounds of vulnerability, and the project was halted. Several new proposals were made for alternate basing arrangements, including mobile basing in railway cars that would be sent out into
7105-409: The 29 missiles deployed were not operational. A Congressional report stated that "Northrop was behind schedule before it even started" and noted that the Air Force knew as early as 1985 that there were "serious system deficiencies as well as a lack of effective progress". They complained that the Air Force should have come clean and simply pushed back the deployment date, but instead, in order to foster
7250-531: The 4-hour launch window, coupled with high clouds and other last-minute concerns, caused the mission to be scrubbed for the day at 15:20 UTC on October 27, 2009. Launch was rescheduled for a four-hour window opening at 12:00 UTC on October 28, 2009. Ares I-X launched on October 28, 2009, at 11:30 EDT (15:30 UTC) from Kennedy Space Center LC-39B , successfully completing a brief test flight. The vehicle's first stage ignited at T-0 seconds and Ares I-X lifted off from Launch Complex 39B . The first stage separated from
7395-473: The Ares I development schedule due to budgetary pressures and unforeseen engineering and technical difficulties would have increased the gap between the end of the Space Shuttle program and the first operational flight of Ares I. Because the Constellation program was never allocated the funding originally projected, the total estimated cost to develop the Ares I through 2015 rose from $ 28 billion in 2006 to more than $ 40 billion in 2009. The Ares I-X project cost
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#17327718981067540-569: The Ares I rated the vehicle as almost twice as safe as an Atlas or Delta IV-derived design. The first stage was to have been a more powerful and reusable solid fuel rocket derived from the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). Compared with the Solid Rocket Booster, which had four segments, the most notable difference was the addition of a fifth segment. This fifth segment would have enabled
7685-409: The Ares I to produce more thrust. Other changes made to the Solid Rocket Booster were to have been the removal of the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) attachment points and the replacement of the Solid Rocket Booster nosecone with a new forward adapter that would have interfaced with the liquid-fueled second stage. The adapter was to have been equipped with solid-fueled separation motors to facilitate
7830-414: The Ares I would have cost $ 1 billion or more to operate per flight had the Ares I flown just once a year. If the Ares I system were flown multiple times a year the marginal costs could have fallen to as low as $ 138 million per launch. In March 2010, NASA administrator Charlie Bolden testified to congress that the Ares I would cost $ 4–4.5 billion a year, and $ 1.6 billion per flight. The Ares I marginal cost
7975-474: The Ares I-X flight showed that vibrations from thrust oscillation were within the normal range for a Space Shuttle flight. Approximately two hours after launch of Ares I-X, safing crews entering pad LC-39B reported a small cloud of residual nitrogen tetroxide leaking from an obsolete shuttle oxidizer line at the 95-foot (29 m)-level of the Fixed Service Structure , where it connects to
8120-489: The Ares was superior to that of either of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELVs). The cost estimates in the study were based on the assumption that new launch pads would be needed for human-rated EELVs. The facilities for the current EELVs (LC-37 for Delta IV, LC-41 for Atlas V) are in place and could be modified, but this may not have been the most cost effective solution as LC-37 is
8265-681: The Fault Tolerant Inertial Navigation Unit (FTINU) and Redundant Rate Gyro Units (RRGUs), and cable harnesses. The first stage was controlled primarily by heritage hardware from existing Space Shuttle systems. A new electronics box, the Ascent Thrust Vector Controller (ATVC), acted as a translation tool to communicate commands from the Atlas-based flight computer to the solid rocket booster's thrust vector control system. The ATVC
8410-491: The First Stage Avionics Module (FSAM), located inside the hollow first-stage fifth segment. The ground-based portion of the mission's avionics included a ground control , command, and communications (GC3) unit, which was installed on Mobile Launcher Platform-1 (MLP-1) for launch at Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center. The GC3 unit enabled the flight control system to interface with computers on
8555-486: The ICBM-X, there was little development as there appeared to be no need for a platform with the sort of accuracy the flimbal provided, and the expense of developing the system would be extremely high. In spite of a lack of official interest, during the late 1960s Kenneth Fertig managed to arrange some funding through the Air Force for the "SABRE" INS project, short for "Self-Aligning Boost and RE-entry". The name referred to
8700-455: The MIRV capabilities needed to ensure even a small number of survivors would be able to attack the remaining Soviet missile fleet. The Minuteman III simply did not have this combination of features. Whether or not this problem actually existed is open to debate. The Minuteman had a relatively fast launch time, and early warning satellites meant that commanders would have almost instant warning of
8845-528: The Minuteman II. In 1966 and 67, the Department of Defense ran the STRAT-X study to consider many of these issues. As part of this program, they proposed a smaller version of ICBM-X with 10 to 20 warheads. Known initially as WS-120A and later as BGM-75 AICBM , the missile was small enough to fit in existing large silos, like those for the Titan II , but was otherwise similar in concept to the ICBM-X, with
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#17327718981068990-577: The NASA Langley Research Center, was responsible for integrating the vehicle's parts into a complete rocket and making sure they work together as a system to meet flight test objectives. SE&I was responsible for ensuring all components functioned collectively to satisfy primary and secondary mission objectives. Detailed management of system interfaces, mission level requirements, validation plans, and flight instrumentation management were key SE&I contributions. SE&I provided
9135-511: The NASA authorization bill for 2010 was signed into law which canceled Constellation. Previous legislation kept Constellation contracts in force until passage of a new funding bill for 2011. Ares I had a payload capability in the 25-tonne (28-short-ton; 25-long-ton) class and was comparable to vehicles such as the Delta IV and the Atlas V . The NASA study group that selected what would become
9280-579: The START II on 14 June 2002, the last Peacekeeper missile was deactivated on 19 September 2005. Their advanced W87 warheads were moved to the Minuteman III. The private launch firm Orbital Sciences Corporation has developed the Minotaur IV , a four-stage civilian expendable launch system using old Peacekeeper components. As of 2020 , seven Minotaur IV flights have been made. Deployment of
9425-491: The Soviets could modify their warheads and circumvent this design. All that was required was that several warheads arrive and be detonated within a few milliseconds of each other, so the blast waves did not reach each other before completing destruction of the silo. Such timing could be easily achieved by launching all of the warheads from a single missile. Congress again rejected the system. Reagan responded to this setback by appointing Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft to lead
9570-442: The Soviets had not yet fired. Over its development through the 1970s, MX emerged as a highly accurate, rapid-firing, and quickly retargeted system. Ultimately, the only problem that was never completely solved was the issue of basing. Initial development began in 1971, with full-scale development starting in 1974. President Jimmy Carter ordered initial production in 1979 but was overturned by Congress. After considerable debate about
9715-424: The Soviets immediately launched against US cities. The other option would require the US to be the first country to launch an attack on civilian targets, an attack that was both morally reprehensible as well as against stated policy. This worrying scenario led to the effort to develop a new ICBM with the accuracy needed to be an excellent counterforce weapon, the survivability needed to absorb a Soviet first strike, and
9860-411: The Soviets improved their missiles. In the event of a Soviet missile launch, the US faced the difficult decision of whether to fire their missiles immediately or wait to determine the targets of the Soviet missiles. Firing early might mean striking civilian targets ( countervalue ) when the Soviets had only targeted military installations, something US politicians considered to be a serious problem (part of
10005-404: The Space Shuttle. This review was the first major milestone in the design process, and was intended to ensure that the Ares I launch system met all the requirements necessary for the Constellation Program. In addition to the release of the review, NASA also announced that a redesign in the tank hardware was made. Instead of separate LH 2 and LO 2 tanks, separated by an "intertank" like that of
10150-419: The TEAMS contract agreement between ATK and NASA Langley. Ares I-X had been scheduled for launch on October 27, 2009, the 48th anniversary of the first Saturn I launch. The launch attempt was delayed due to weather plus other last-minute concerns. The ground crew experienced difficulty removing a protective cover from an important nose-mounted five-port sensor package . A private watercraft had blundered into
10295-422: The US bomber bases. Although it would be very difficult to arrange, there was the possibility that a combination of missile attacks on US bomber bases combined with bomber attacks on the missile bases would leave the US at a disadvantage. The survivability of the missile fleet became increasingly important, especially after the Kennedy administration took power, and the new Secretary of Defense , Robert McNamara ,
10440-567: The United States Air Force has a rail garrison box car on display, and developmental remnants of the program can still be found at Vandenberg Air Force Base . The project had already cost around $ 20 billion up to 1998 and produced 114 missiles, at $ 400 million for each operational missile. The "flyaway" cost of each warhead was estimated at 20 to 70 million dollars. The missiles were gradually retired, with 17 withdrawn during 2003, leaving 29 missiles on alert at
10585-557: The United States and the Soviet Union were negotiating the START II treaty, under which ICBMs were allowed to carry only a single warhead each. Because the Minuteman could carry a single warhead for far less money, the United States agreed to remove the Peacekeeper from their nuclear force in this treaty. Despite the US withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the subsequent Russian withdrawal from
10730-476: The accuracy to attack Soviet silos and thus offered little counterforce capability. In some ways this helped the Air Force, as it meant they could concentrate on the counterforce scenarios, knowing that a countervalue attack would always be available from the Navy. However, improvements in SLBM accuracy might allow them to handle counterforce as well, and render the entire land-based ICBM fleet superfluous. The Air Force
10875-577: The actual upper-stage hardware could not be produced in time for the flight test, the upper-stage mass simulator allowed the booster to fly approximately the same trajectory through the first stage of flight. The USS and the CM/LAS mass simulators launched by the Ares I-X were not recovered and fell into the Atlantic Ocean. The first stage, including the fifth segment mass simulator, was recovered to retrieve flight data recorders and reusable equipment. The four-segment solid rocket motor and aft skirt for Ares I-X
11020-443: The air-drop concept was pursued. On 22 November 1982, Reagan announced that the system would be deployed in new silos in what was then known as "Closely Spaced Basing", but later better known as " dense pack ". During this speech, he made the first mention of the name Peacekeeper. The dense pack idea involved building super-hardened silos that would withstand more than 10,000 psi (69 MPa ) of overpressure , exceeding both
11165-467: The back, parachuted to the vertical, and then launched. As part of the same study, Aerospace also considered a missile and wheeled launcher combination that was small enough that they could be carried in existing C-141 Starlifter aircraft. During periods of heightened tensions, they would be flown to practically any airport and set up. The Soviets would have to target thousands of airports, runways and even dirt strips and long stretches of highway to attack
11310-493: The beginning of 2004, and only 10 by the beginning of 2005. The last Peacekeeper was removed from alert on 19 September 2005 during the final deactivation ceremony when the 400th Missile Squadron was inactivated as well. During the ceremony an Under Secretary of the Air Force credited the Peacekeeper with helping to end the Cold War. The Peacekeeper rockets were converted to the satellite launcher role by Orbital Sciences , as
11455-427: The booster to a rough landing, but it luckily sustained minimal damage. The parachute lanyard design was changed as well to prevent repeat incidents. According to NASA, partial parachute failures were common in Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters , from which the Ares I-X is derived. Eleven partial parachute failures occurred on Space Shuttle SRBs, including on STS-128 . The first stage was found floating upright, as
11600-471: The command structure would not have time to launch their ICBMs and bombers before the warheads were reaching them. The development of the Trident II , which was described as "effective against most of the hardened military targets, including missile silos and launch control centers", reopened the debate about MX. If Trident was capable of carrying out the mission originally intended for MX, and do so from
11745-412: The concept that the system would be so accurate and free from the effects of mechanical shocks and jarring that it would not require any other form of "fixing" in flight. This was in contrast to the stellar-inertial systems under development by the Navy and others. It would retain its accuracy even through the rough conditions during re-entry, allowing the creation of maneuvering reentry vehicles. During
11890-514: The disconnection of the stages during ascent. The grain design was also changed, and so were the insulation and liner. By the Ares I first stage ground test, the case, grain design, number of segments, insulation, liner, throat diameter, thermal protection systems and nozzle had all changed. The upper stage, derived from the Shuttle's External Tank (ET) and based on the S-IVB stage of the Saturn V,
12035-543: The era of Robert McNamara 's US Department of Defense , cost was as important as any other consideration. As Alain Enthoven put it, "Our gross national product, though large, is limited. If we attempted to develop and procure a dozen or more distinct different nuclear delivery systems… we doubtless would end up squandering our resources and not doing a good job on any of them." Golden Arrow, along with many similar proposals from other firms, proceeded no further, in favor of
12180-520: The fifth segment simulator of the first stage to carry: Ground operations include activities such as vehicle stacking, integration, rollout, and liftoff, while ground systems include vehicle interfaces and lightning protection. Several new procedures and hardware items were developed for Ares I-X, including: Ground operations and ground systems were handled by United Space Alliance and NASA personnel at Kennedy Space Center. The Ares I-X Systems Engineering & Integration (SE&I) Office, managed by
12325-468: The first stage solid rocket of the Ares I could have created high vibrations during the first few minutes of ascent. The vibrations would have been caused by thrust oscillations inside the first stage. NASA officials had identified the potential problem at the Ares I system design review in late October 2007, stating in a press release that it wanted to solve it by March 2008. NASA admitted that this problem
12470-424: The first stage. NASA admitted that this potential problem was very real, rating it four out of five on a risk scale. NASA was very confident it could solve the problem, referring to a long history of successful problem solving. NASA officials had known about the problem since fall 2007, stating in a press release that they had wanted to solve it by March 2008. According to NASA, analysis of the data and telemetry from
12615-404: The fleet. Finally, they also considered conventional missiles in "super hard" silos, buried under the southern side of mountains. As the enemy warheads would approach at a fairly shallow angle from the north, they would strike the north side of the mountains before they could hit the silos themselves. Properly positioned, this would keep the explosions at least 5,000 feet (1,500 m) away from
12760-441: The flight there had been some concern among NASA scientists and among Ares critics and skeptics that the thrust oscillation would prove too violent for human astronauts to safely ride an Ares rocket. NASA Watch revealed that the first-stage solid rocket booster of the Ares I could create high vibrations during the first few minutes of ascent. The vibrations are caused by sudden acceleration pulses due to thrust oscillations inside
12905-502: The frustum and forward skirt extension were made of aluminum. The forward skirt and fifth segment simulator were made of steel. The upper-stage simulator (USS) was manufactured by NASA personnel at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Because of transportation limitations (bridge heights on highways and rivers), the simulator was built out of eleven steel segments 9.5 feet (2.9 m) tall by 18 feet (5.5 m) wide. The USS simulated
13050-633: The ground for installation into the USS in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) prior to rollout to Launch Complex 39B. The RoCS modules were designed and constructed to fit into the Interstage segment of the USS by Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama. The engines were hot-fire tested at White Sands Test Facility in 2007 and 2008 to verify that they could perform the pulsing duty cycle required by Ares I-X. At
13195-413: The ground via telemetry and also stored in the First Stage Avionics Module (FSAM), located in the empty fifth segment. Aerodynamic data collected from sensors in the CM/LAS contribute to measurements of vehicle acceleration and angle of attack . How the tip of the rocket slices through the atmosphere is important because that determines the flow of air over the entire vehicle. The CM/LAS splashed down in
13340-488: The ground. The flight test vehicle flew autonomously and was controlled by the FTINU, located on the underside of the lower ballast plates of the upper-stage simulator (USS). The avionics were developed by Lockheed-Martin of Denver, Colorado , a subcontractor to Jacobs Engineering of Huntsville, Alabama , and is managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Three shoebox-size packages were affixed inside
13485-568: The illusion of progress, the missiles were deployed in a non-operational state. The first prototype AIRS, by then known more generically as the Inertial Measurement Unit, or IMU, was delivered in May 1986, 203 days late. It was not until July 1987 that the first production AIRS were ready to ship, and the complete supply for the first 50 missiles was not complete until December 1988. Given these delays, and increased performance of
13630-481: The late 1970s, the Soviet Union fielded a large number of increasingly accurate MIRVed Heavy ICBMs like the SS-18 . These missiles carried as many as 10 warheads along with up to 40 penetration aids , meaning that a small number of launches could present a threat to the Air Force's ICBM fleet while retaining a large force in reserve. If the Soviet Union launched a first strike and the US did not respond immediately,
13775-457: The majority of their missiles and strategic bombers might be caught on the ground. A credible deterrent force would remain, but such a force might not have enough warheads left to attack both the remaining Soviet fleet and cities and other military targets. In such a situation, the US would be left with two uncomfortable options. If they chose to respond in kind and attack the remaining Soviet missile fleet, there would be little to respond with if
13920-420: The mission objectives. It also housed the Fault Tolerant Inertial Navigation Unit (FTINU), which controlled the vehicle's flight and primary avionics functions. For stability, the FTINU was mounted on the underside of the lower ballast plates. Ground operations personnel accessed the FTINU through a crew hatch on the side of the interstage segment, which also housed the roll control system. Each USS segment included
14065-520: The motor was cooled to a core temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), and for DM-3 it was heated to above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). In addition to other objectives, these two tests validated Ares motor performance at extreme temperatures. NASA conducted a successful 500-second test firing of the J-2X rocket engine at John C. Stennis Space Center in November 2011. The Ares I prototype, Ares I-X , successfully completed
14210-435: The nation's rail network during times of heightened threat levels, and more complex systems of deeply buried silos under mesas that would include systems to quickly dig themselves out after an attack. Eventually, the program was reinstated on 12 June 1979 by President Carter . On 7 September 1979 he announced that 200 MX missiles would be deployed throughout eastern Nevada and western Utah . The deployment would occur in
14355-433: The nuclear warfighting arena. Even in the case of a counterforce attack, their bombers would take hours to complete their missions, during which the Soviets could launch their remaining missiles. The Air Force could not let this stand, and following the advice of RAND Corporation , in 1962 they decided the solution was to make the Minuteman capable of counterforce missions as well. The changes to Minuteman II were two-fold. One
14500-678: The ocean along with the upper-stage simulator (USS) after the boost phase of the mission. This simulator was designed and built by a government-industry team at Langley Research Center in Virginia. It was flown to Kennedy Space Center by C-5 transport and was the last piece of hardware stacked onto the rocket in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Ares I-X used avionics hardware from the Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) to control its flight. This hardware included
14645-487: The outer skin of the Upper Stage Simulator, used hypergolic monomethyl hydrazine (MMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) for propellants and each included two nozzles, which fired tangential to the skin and at right angles to the roll axis in order to provide a controlling roll torque. The propellants were loaded into the modules at Kennedy Space Center's Hypergol Maintenance Facility (HMF) and transported on
14790-510: The parts were sourced at Radio Shack . In other cases, managers had created false shell companies to order needed test equipment. When these allegations were released by 60 Minutes and the Los Angeles Times , the fallout was immediate. Northrop was slapped with a $ 130 million fine for late delivery, and when they reacted against employees they were countersued in whistleblower suits. The Air Force also admitted that 11 of
14935-748: The passage of his 2010 NASA authorization bill. In September 2011, NASA detailed the Space Launch System as its new vehicle for human exploration beyond Earth's orbit. In 1995 Lockheed Martin produced an Advanced Transportation System Studies (ATSS) report for the Marshall Space Flight Center . A section of the ATSS report describes several possible vehicles much like the Ares I design, with liquid rocket second stages stacked above segmented solid rocket booster (SRB) first stages. The variants that were considered included both
15080-423: The period of the flight the drift would be so low that any inaccuracies in the platform would account for a maximum of 1% of the warhead's final accuracy–the rest would be due to issues like the timing of the firing of the rocket engines, minor differences in warhead construction, and unavoidable randomness in the atmosphere. The Air Force also contracted with Autonetics for a backup design using mechanical gimbals,
15225-512: The plan for having two competing teams. These plans were discarded by incoming administrator Michael Griffin , and on April 29, 2005, NASA chartered the Exploration Systems Architecture Study to accomplish specific goals: A Shuttle-derived launch architecture was selected by NASA for the Ares I. Originally, the crewed vehicle would have used a four-segment solid rocket booster (SRB) for the first stage, and
15370-498: The prime contractor for the Ares I first stage. NASA announced that Rocketdyne would be the main subcontractor for the J-2X rocket engine on July 16, 2007. NASA selected Boeing to provide and install the avionics for the Ares I rocket on December 12, 2007. On August 28, 2007, NASA awarded the Ares I Upper Stage manufacturing contract to Boeing. The upper stage of Ares I was to have been built at Michoud Aerospace Factory , which
15515-470: The program office at the Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) formed on 4 April, and the advanced development program started in late 1973. To address the survivability issue, a huge series of concepts and studies followed. In 1973, Strategic Air Command rejected mobile basing due to high costs and slow reaction times due to the need to set up the launcher. On 24 October 1974 the airmobile concept
15660-399: The rated 2,000 psi (14 MPa) of existing silos and the proposed upgrade to 5,000 psi (34 MPa). This extra hardness can be offset by minor increases in warhead accuracy. The key to dense pack concept was to space the silos close together, about 1,800 feet (550 m). This was far enough apart that a single warhead could not destroy more than one silo; no conceivable warhead
15805-457: The re-introduction of the "rail garrison" concept, with twenty-five trains each carrying two missiles. This system was expected to be operational in 1992. The supposed counterforce gap, then being widely talked about on television, also resulted in the schedule for silo deployment being moved up, dropping the production time from 44 months to 29. Additionally, the plan also called for the development of an entirely new missile, which would emerge as
15950-477: The restricted downrange safety zone and had to be chased away. Launching through the day's high cirrus clouds could have caused triboelectrification , potentially interfering with range safety communication and hampering the RSO 's ability to issue the self-destruction command. Launch Director Ed Mango repeatedly delayed resumption of the countdown from the planned hold point at T-00:04:00. Ultimately, constraints of
16095-488: The same rocket, the plans for Project Constellation outlined having two separate launch vehicles, the Ares I and the Ares V, for crew and cargo, respectively. Having two separate launch vehicles allows for more specialized designs for the crew and heavy cargo launch rockets. The Ares I rocket was specifically being designed to launch the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle . Orion was intended as
16240-447: The shape and physical properties of the models used in computer analyses and wind tunnel tests. This precision enables NASA to compare CM/LAS flight performance with preflight predictions with high confidence. Ares I-X flight data were collected with sensors throughout the vehicle, including approximately 150 sensors in the CM/LAS simulator that recorded thermal, aerodynamic, acoustic, vibration and other data. Data were transmitted to
16385-474: The shape, mass, and center of gravity characteristics of Ares I from the interstage to the top of the service module of the Orion Crew exploration vehicle. The centers of mass for the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen tanks were simulated through the use of steel ballast plates. The USS included a variety of temperature, vibration, thermal, and acoustic sensors to collect the primary data needed to meet
16530-511: The silos; it was believed that silos able to withstand multi-megaton explosions at one mile could be built, although this was an area of some uncertainty. This system had the advantage that the basing would be immune to changes in the accuracy or speed of the attack, only enormous increases in yield could overcome this physical barrier. They proposed 100 missiles in three bases of 30 missiles each. They expected that at least one base would be able to survive even an all-out attack. However, if such
16675-498: The spray-on foam insulation to keep venting to a minimum. The only new hardware on the original ET-derived second stage would have been the thrust assembly for the J-2X engine, new fill/drain/vent disconnects for the fuel and oxidizer, and mounting interfaces for the solid-fueled first stage and the Orion spacecraft. Using a concept going back to the Apollo program, the "intertank" structure was dropped to decrease mass, and in its place,
16820-404: The structural, thermal and aerodynamic analyses for the overall system to allow the components to be designed and built. SE&I also managed the mass of the vehicle and developed the trajectory and the guidance, navigation, and control algorithms used for vehicle flight. To complete these tasks, wind tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were used to investigate forces acting on
16965-430: The system had little or no capability as a counterforce weapon. The Air Force relied on its crewed bombers as the primary weapon for attacking hardened targets and saw the ICBM as a survivable deterrent that would guard against an attack on its bomber fleet. Soviet missiles were known to have very low accuracy, far too low to directly attack US missile silos. They did have the combination of accuracy and power to attack
17110-499: The system, in October 1982, President Ronald Reagan announced that 50 of the newly named Peacekeepers would be put into service in existing LGM-30 Minuteman silos, a temporary measure until final basing was decided. The first flight test took place in 1983, which included the successful launch of six inert re-entry vehicles, each hitting pre-planned targets. It was the first US ICBM to use a cold launch system . Peacekeeper reached initial operational capability in 1986. At this time,
17255-472: The targeted missiles against their unlaunched Soviet counterparts. This would require extremely tight timing. The development of practical SLBM systems upset the nuclear equation dramatically. These weapons were essentially invulnerable when at sea, and offered a credible countervalue force, primarily against civilian targets as early models like the UGM-27 Polaris and UGM-73 Poseidon did not have
17400-467: The top of the Ares I-X flight test vehicle was a combined Orion crew module and launch abort system simulator, resembling the structural and aerodynamic characteristics of Ares I. The full-scale crew module (CM) is approximately 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter and 7 feet (2.1 m) tall, while the launch abort system (LAS) is 46 feet (14 m) long. The CM/LAS simulator was built with high fidelity to ensure that its hardware components accurately reflect
17545-520: The underlying concept started in the 1960s. The idea was to allow the US to absorb a sneak attack by the USSR with enough warheads surviving to attack the remaining Soviet missile silos. To do so, the missiles had to be highly accurate, be based in such a way that enough would survive a nuclear attack, carry a large number of warheads so the survivors would still inflict massive damage, and be able to rapidly re-target so they could be aimed at only those missiles
17690-405: The upper-stage simulator and parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean roughly 150 miles (240 km) downrange of the launch site. The maximum altitude of the rocket was not immediately known, but had been expected to be 28 miles (45 km). The launch accomplished all primary test objectives, and many lessons were learned in preparing and launching a new vehicle from Kennedy Space Center . Prior to
17835-412: The vehicle in various phases of flight, including lift-off, ascent, stage separation and descent. Once the basic design was understood SE&I provided structural analyses for the system to assure the rocket would behave properly once it was integrated. Schedule development, management and control was provided by ATK Schedule Analysts permanently located at the NASA Langley Research Center working through
17980-401: The warheads would survive an anti-ballistic missile attack. Although the system did not include the ability to be rapidly retargeted, this capability was under development and started deployment in 1972, before the planned 1975 introduction date of WS-120A. When it was fully deployed in 1978, the entire ICBM fleet could be entirely reprogrammed in 10 hours. Since the late 1950s, engineers at
18125-651: Was $ 445 million. Originally scheduled for first test flights in 2011, the independent analysis by the Augustine Commission found in late 2009 that due to technical and financial problems Ares I was not likely to have had its first crewed launch until 2017–2019 under the current budget, or late 2016 with an unconstrained budget. The Augustine Commission also stated that Ares I and Orion would have an estimated recurring cost of almost $ 1 billion per flight. However, later financial analysis in March 2010 showed that
18270-405: Was a super-hardened shelter, but dispersed mobile options were also considered. However, like Golden Arrow before it, WS-120A's advantages found themselves being diluted by the new Minuteman III. The Minuteman III used the new NS-20 inertial navigation system (INS) with a CEP of 0.12 nautical miles (220 m), three warheads and an expanded collection of radar countermeasures that would ensure
18415-478: Was anticipated as NASA intended to remove the FSS and launch future Ares flights from a "clean pad". During the flight, a pyrotechnic charge on the reefer, which holds the chute together, was set off early while still inside the parachute, causing the parachute to overload and fail on deployment. The added stress on the second parachute caused it to overload and partially fail as well. The two remaining parachutes guided
18560-429: Was approximately 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and 36 inches (91 cm) long, and took advantage of upgraded insulation materials that had improved thermal properties to protect the igniter's case from the burning solid propellant. NASA successfully completed test firing of the igniter for the Ares I engines on March 10, 2009, at ATK Launch Systems test facilities near Promontory, Utah . The igniter test generated
18705-484: Was critical, especially in the original J-2 engine used on the Saturn V's S-IVB stage, to propel the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon. The Space Shuttle Main Engine, on the other hand, would have required extensive modifications to add an air-start capability On January 4, 2007, NASA announced that the Ares I had completed its system requirements review, the first such review completed for any crewed spacecraft design since
18850-465: Was drawn directly from the Space Shuttle inventory. The motor was manufactured by ATK Launch Services of Promontory, Utah . The new forward structures were manufactured by Major Tool & Machine of Indianapolis, Indiana . The first-stage element was managed by Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama . Modifications to the solid rocket booster include: For the Ares I-X flight test,
18995-405: Was given the task of making the US military the most powerful in the world while at the same time reducing its expenditures. He solved this problem by greatly reducing reliance on bombers, and by 1964, there were more US ICBMs than bombers on nuclear alert. By the mid-1960s, the missile had become the main US strategic weapon. This led to concerns about various warfighting scenarios, especially as
19140-449: Was not intended to test the upper stage's independent performance. The fact that the upper stage was not powered, and separated at a lower altitude than the real upper stage would on the final Ares I, contributed to the spin. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration . Ares I NASA planned to use Ares I to launch Orion ,
19285-486: Was not interested in handing the strategic role to the Navy. A survivable ICBM would address this issue. In 1971, the Air Force started a requirements development process combining the ICBM-X and SABRE concepts into a single platform, "Missile, Experimental", or MX. The new missile would have enough accuracy and warhead payload that even a few survivors would be able to destroy enormous numbers of any remaining Soviet force. The specifications for MX were fixed in February 1972,
19430-410: Was powerful enough to destroy the silos from the point between them, 900 feet (270 m) from either silo. To attack the dense pack, separate warheads would have to be aimed at each silo. When one of the attacking warheads exploded, the blast wave and dirt thrown into the air would destroy any nearby warheads. This " fratricide theory" was highly criticized due to the expected relative ease with which
19575-427: Was predicted to have been a fraction of the Shuttle's marginal costs even had it flown multiple times per year. By comparison, the cost of launching three astronauts on a crewed Russian Soyuz is $ 153 million. Representative Robert Aderholt stated in March 2010 that he had received a letter from NASA which claimed that it would have cost $ 1.1 billion to fly the Ares I rocket three times a year. On February 8, 2011, it
19720-532: Was reported that Alliant Techsystems and Astrium proposed to use Ares I's first stage with a second stage derived from the Ariane 5 core stage to form a new rocket named Liberty . On February 1, 2010, President Barack Obama announced a proposal to cancel the Constellation program effective with the U.S. 2011 fiscal year budget, but later announced changes to the proposal in a major space policy speech at Kennedy Space Center on April 15, 2010. In October 2010,
19865-497: Was similar in shape, mass, and size to the planned configuration of later Ares I vehicles, but had largely dissimilar internal hardware consisting of only one powered stage. Ares I vehicles were intended to launch Orion crew exploration vehicles. Along with the Ares V launch system and the Altair lunar lander, Ares I and Orion were part of NASA's Constellation program , which was developing spacecraft for U.S. human spaceflight after
20010-466: Was tested by SAMSO by dropping a Minuteman I from a C-5A cargo aircraft. In November, the Secretary of Defense pushed the initial operational date back from 1983 to 1985 and opened a study on the possibility of developing a single missile for both ICBM and SLBM use. A six-month study in 1977 proposed a "Low-Altitude Defense" (LoAD) system using small anti-ballistic missiles at missile fields, similar to
20155-409: Was the only new avionics box for the flight. All other components were existing or off-the-shelf units. Ares I-X also employed 720 thermal, acceleration, acoustic, and vibration sensors as part of its developmental flight instrumentation (DFI) to collect the data necessary for the mission. Some of this data was transmitted real-time via telemetry while the rest was stored in electronics boxes located in
20300-450: Was the prime contractor for the original J-2 engines used in the Apollo program. Although its J-2X engine was derived from an established design, the upper stage itself would have been wholly new. Originally to have been based on both the internal and external structure of the ET, the original design called for separate fuel and oxidizer tanks, joined by an "intertank" structure, and covered with
20445-441: Was to be propelled by a single J-2X rocket engine fueled by liquid hydrogen (LH 2 ) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The J-2X was derived from the original J-2 engine used during the Apollo program, but with more thrust (≈294,000 lbf or 1.31 MN) and fewer parts than the original engine. On July 16, 2007, NASA awarded Rocketdyne a sole-source contract for the J-2X engines to be used for ground and flight tests. Rocketdyne
20590-461: Was to have continued through the end of 2009, with development and qualification testing running concurrently through 2012. As of July 2009 , flight articles were to have begun production towards the end of 2009 for a first launch in June 2011. Since 2006 the first launch of a human was planned for no later than 2014, which is four years after the planned retirement of the Space Shuttle. Delays in
20735-547: Was to introduce the NS-17 inertial navigation system , which improved the CEP to 0.34 nautical miles (0.63 km) and allowed the missiles to attack Soviet silos directly. The other was to allow the missiles to quickly switch between a selection of eight targets, allowing them to be fired at only those Soviet silos that had not already launched. Similar improvements to Soviet missiles, real or imagined, led to US officials proposing
20880-618: Was used for the Space Shuttle's External Tank and the Saturn V's S-IC first stage. At approximately US$ 20–25 million per engine, the Rocketdyne-designed and produced J-2X would have cost less than half as much as the more complex RS-25 engine (around $ 55 million). Unlike the Space Shuttle Main Engine, which was designed to start on the ground, the J-2X was designed from inception to be started in both mid-air and in near-vacuum. This air-start capability
21025-427: Was very severe, rating it four out of five on a risk scale, but the agency was very confident in solving it. The mitigation approach developed by the Ares engineering team included active and passive vibration damping, adding an active tuned-mass absorber and a passive "compliance structure" – essentially a spring-loaded ring that would have detuned the Ares I stack. NASA also pointed out that, since this would have been
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