Ares I-X Launch

After several delays, NASA’s Ares I-X successfully launched into the sky.  It was a beautiful sight after a scrubbed Tuesday launch and several additional weather delays on Wednesday morning.  However, success was achieved when the Ares I-X test rocket lifted off at 11:30AM on Wednesday morning.

It seems that the primary issue that NASA had with the Ares I-X was the weather.  Unlike the Space Shuttle, which is coated with a protective layer to help reduce the chance of static buildup, the Ares I-X had no such coating yet.  If the rocket were to go through clouds, the buildup of static electricity could form a halo around the rocket which could interfere with NASA’s ability to communicate with it and therefore could have caused an issue with guidance and data retrieval.

Luckily, we had a break in the weather and the sky was the limit.  Literally, this flight was not intended to get the rocket into orbit, but rather to send it high enough to test several systems in the Ares I-X that are necessary for manned flight.  After the apex of the flight, the Ares I-X broke stages allowing the booster and main engine segment to parachute back down into the Atlantic ocean for recovery.

Overall, I would say that the mission was successful, and we hope to see more from NASA’s dwindling funds.  Let’s just hope that the Obama crew see fit to keep things rolling over there.