NASA fires up first-stage motor to new Ares 1 rocket

William Atkins
Friday, 11 September 2009 20:06

Science - Space

Some of the other additions, upgrades, and improvements include a fifth segment (the space shuttle SRB has four segments) that will provide much more thrust than the SRB; a larger nozzle throat to the motor (when compared to the SRBs); and improved insulation and liner (to protect the steel cases within the first-stage motor).

Within the September 10, 2009 NASA media brief, “NASA and ATK successfully test Ares first stage motor,” other improvements are described as: “The forward motor segment also has been improved for performance by adding another fin, or slot in the propellant. This change in the geometry of the propellant provides additional surface area for burning the solid fuel, which results in greater thrust.”

The larger nozzle throat is described as being “… three inches wider in diameter than the nozzle used for the shuttle. The bigger nozzle throat allows the motor to handle the additional thrust from the five-segment booster. It also meets NASA's structural requirements to stay within the pressure capacity of the existing steel cases—the large, barrel-shaped cylinders that house the fuel—ensuring safety and reliability.”

The impressive two-minute burn showed flames shooting out at a length approximately twice that of the first-stage itself. The temperature of the fire was about 2,480 degrees Celsius (4,500 degrees Fahrenheit)--enough to incinerate everything in its path.

A video of the test is found on YouTube.com “Ares Development Motor 1 Test.”

According to the NASA media brief, engineers at NASA and ATK will “… use the measurements gathered from the test to evaluate thrust, roll control, acoustics and motor vibrations. This data will provide valuable information as NASA develops the Ares I and Ares V vehicles.”

The Ares 5 (or Ares V) rocket is the heavy-lift cargo launch vehicle (as opposed to the Ares 1, which will lift human occupants into space) that will, in the future, lift the Earth Departure Stage (EDS) and the Altair lunar lander into space for trips to the Moon and, ultimately, to Mars.

Alex Priskos, the first-stage Ares manager, stated, “With this test, we have taken lessons learned from many years of experience in solid rocket motor development and have built on that foundation.”

Priskos, who is stationed at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (Huntsville, Alabama), added, “Our team collected data from 650 sensors today to evaluate the motor's performance. This test and those that follow are essential to understanding as many aspects of our motor as possible, including strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately delivering the safest and most reliable motor possible."