[FPSPACE] NASA Selects Ares I Upper Stage Production Contractor

[Keith Gottschalk]

>CONTRACT RELEASE: C07-40
>NASA SELECTS ARES I UPPER STAGE PRODUCTION CONTRACTOR
[snip.....]
>Ares I is an in-line, two-stage rocket that will carry to low Earth 
>orbit the crew exploration vehicle Orion, which will succeed the 
>space shuttle as NASA's primary vehicle for human exploration 
>[snip.....] The Ares I first stage will consist of a five-segment
solid 
>rocket booster and motor similar to those used on the space shuttle. 

     Until now, I'd thought that Ares was intended to be an updated
version of Saturn 5, benefitting from four decades of amazing advances
in miniaturized electronics, welding techniques, and advanced
composites. And I'm sure it will incorporate those.

   But a solid propellant first stage? Isn't that a technological step
backwards? I know that liquid propellant engines have the risk of
turbopumps that can explode, a risk the SSMEs have so far managed with
increasing reliability in block II. 

    But once again NASA intends to use a solid propellant first stage,
which cannot be switched off, "for human exploration".
Since the 2 stages are in-line, it is impossible to build in one
emergency concept that was proposed, but not incorporated, for the STS
SRBs. This was to blow off their nose cones, to neutralize their thrust,
to enable subsequent firing of the explosive bolts which would eject
them away from the ET.

     Using solid propellants on cargo rockets launched over the sea
could endanger nothing except maybe an unfortunate manatee in the wrong
place @ the wrong time. But for human flight?  It seems to me to
perpetuate a fundamentally wrong error of judgement, a step back, for
the world's foremost space R&D agency.

Keith
-------------- next part --------------
All Email originating from UWC is covered by disclaimer http://www.uwc.ac.za/portal/uwc2006/content/mail_disclaimer/index.htm