Ares I-X

Infobox Space mission
mission_name = Ares I-X
insignia = AresIX patch02.svg
vehicle = Boilerplate Orion
launch_pad = 39-B
launch = April 15, 2009 | landing = none
duration = 2 minutes
altitude = | inclination =
distance =
crew_photo=
crew_caption =
previous = None
next = Ares I-Y |

Ares I-X will be a test flight in the Ares I spacecraft development program. The test flight vehicle will be similar to the planned Ares I. The flight is scheduled for April 2009. [ [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/main/Constellationfacilities.html NASA - Kennedy Prepares to Host Constellation ] ]

Test objectives

Ares I–X is planned to be the first test flight of a vehicle like the Ares I. The test flight objectives are focused on first-stage flight dynamics, controllability, separation of the first and upper stages, ground operations, and first stage recovery. By flying the vehicle through first stage, the test flight will also verify the performance and dynamics of the shuttle’s solid rocket booster in “single stick” arrangement. (The usual shuttle configuration is two rocket boosters with one external fuel tank.)

Ares I-X description

The Ares I–X vehicle will consist of a functional four-segment solid rocket booster stage, a fifth segment mass simulator, an upper stage mass simulator, which will be similar in shape and equal in total mass to the actual upper stage, as well as a simulated Orion crew exploration vehicle and launch abort system. Since the actual upper stage hardware cannot be produced in time for the flight test, the upper stage mass simulator will allow the booster to fly approximately the same trajectory through the first stage of flight. The dummy "Orion" capsule launched by the Ares I-X will not be recovered because it will fall into the ocean along with the upper stage simulator.

References

*cite web | url=http://exploration.grc.nasa.gov/Exploration/Constellation/Launch/flightTest.htm | title=Glenn Provides Key Support for Ares I-1 Flight Test | publisher=NASA
*cite web | url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0708/28ares1x/ |title=Kennedy Space Center to become a moonport again | publisher=spaceflightnow.com
*cite web | url=http://search.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/flighttests/aresIx/index.html |title=About the Ares I-X Rocket | publisher=nasa.gov

ee also

*Project Constellation
*Ares I
*Ares V
*Orion Spacecraft

External links

* [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/flighttests/aresIx/index.html NASA web site of Ares I-X]