NASA To Launch World's Tallest Rocket
Tuesday morning, if all goes as planned, NASA will launch the tallest rocket in the world. It's an experimental version of the rocket that NASA is designing to replace the aging space shuttles, and the Ares I-X test flight will be the first time in decades that NASA has tried out a new vehicle planned for astronauts.
But the $445 million test flight is coming just days after a panel of experts convened by the White House reported that the Ares I rocket program can't really do the job it was intended to do, and maybe should be scrapped.
Mission managers say that even if the Ares I program gets the ax, the test launch will be important for advancing rocket science.
"This rocket wasn't even conceived of four years ago," says NASA's Jon Cowart, deputy mission manager for Ares I-X. "And so, it's just an awesome experience to be here when you watch a rocket like this. It's just an incredible thing to be a part of."
Ready To Go
The Ares I-X rocket, currently waiting on a launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is nearly twice as tall as the space shuttle. The tall, skinny white rocket is 327 feet high.
NASA hopes that in the future, astronauts will ride in a small capsule perched on top of an Ares I. The Ares I-X is a prototype version, and some of its parts -- including the crew capsule -- are just dummy versions of the right shape and weight.
"The vehicle is ready to go," says Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager. "We're really excited about the vehicle, really proud that we're getting so close to be ready to fly."
But Ess cautioned that "there's a lot of unknowns, which is the reason we're doing the test. So, no guarantees for tomorrow."
The test launch is scheduled for 8 a.m. EDT on Tuesday -- there is a four-hour potential launch window, and if the weather doesn't cooperate, they can try again on Wednesday.
No one will be onboard during the flight, and the rocket will not put anything in orbit. But the rocket is covered with over 700 sensors, and during its two-minute powered flight, Cowart says his team will learn a lot about how this rocket responds to the stress of liftoff. The data will provide a reality check for computer modeling used in the rocket design process.
"We like to use what's become a rather trite phrase, that 'We're rocket scientists,' but it is what we're doing," says Cowart. "This is really rocket science. And it's not something you do on a lark. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it."
Questioning The Future Of Ares
Still, things might be about to get a lot harder for the Ares I program. The White House recently asked a panel of 10 independent experts to review all of NASA's future plans for human spaceflight. Its final report, issued last week, raised doubts about the Ares I.
MIT astronautics professor Edward Crawley, one of the panel members, says they had no doubt that given enough time and money, NASA could successfully develop and fly Ares I. "The question is, should NASA build the Ares I," says Crawley.
He says the rocket design made sense when it was first planned, "but times have changed. The budgetary environment has become much tighter, and the understanding of the costs and schedule to develop the Ares I has matured."
NASA's aging space shuttles are supposed to be retired next year. But Crawley says, under the best of circumstances, Ares I won't be ready until 2017. That's really too late for its main mission, bringing astronauts up to the space station, since the space station currently has funding only through 2015. Even if funding for the station got extended by another five years, that would eat up part of NASA's budget and probably cause more delays for Ares I.
"And really, the question before NASA and as framed by the committee," says Crawley, "is, 'Are there alternatives that would deliver a capability earlier and at a lower cost, but with the same criteria for safety?' "
For example, private companies are developing rockets that could bring crews and cargo up into orbit close to Earth. The panel suggested that NASA might privatize the "trucking" business of getting stuff into orbit, so that the space agency could focus its efforts on developing bigger, more ambitious rockets that could go to the moon or beyond.
Cowart says the recent review, and the questions swirling about Ares I, aren't discouraging his team before their first big flight test. "I would say probably it has the opposite effect," Cowart says, explaining that if their rocket is not put in what they consider to be the best light, "it actually inspires us to make this rocket do better."
And he says no matter what happens, the test flight data will be extremely useful for rocket science and designers of future space vehicles. "To borrow a quote from one of my favorite rocket designers, Wernher von Braun," Cowart says, " 'One good test is worth a thousand expert opinions.' "
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ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
Tomorrow morning, if all goes as planned, the tallest rocket in the world will blast off. It's an experimental version of the rocket NASA is designing to replace the aging space shuttles. But the test flight is coming just days after a panel of experts told the White House that this rocket program can't do the job that it was intended to do. Maybe, they said, it should be scrapped.
NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reports.
NELL GREENFIELDBOYCE: Down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the past and the future are sitting on two launchpads. One launchpad has space shuttle Atlantis, which has been flying since 1985. The other has what NASA hopes will be the future.
Mr. JON COWART (Deputy Mission Manager for Ares I-X): Yes. I'm standing right inside the gate at Pad 39B.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: I caught up with Jon Cowart as he stood right in front of a skinny white rocket that's nearly twice as tall as the shuttle, 327 feet, a prototype of a new rocket called Ares I.
Mr. COWART: This rocket wasn't even conceived of four years ago. And so, it's just an awesome experience to be here when you watch a rocket like this. It's just an incredible thing to be a part of.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: Cowart is the deputy mission manager for Ares I-X. The X stands for experimental. This particular rocket is a mix of real rocket parts and dummy versions. For example, the crew capsule perched on top is just a mock up that's the right size and weight. No one will be on board and it's not going in to space. But the rocket is covered with over 700 sensors. They will collect data during the two minutes of powered flight as the rocket goes 28 miles up. Cowart says the lower stage will separate and parachutes will bring it down safely to the Atlantic, so a ship can recover it.
Mr. COWART: And then the upper stage, once it separates, it becomes just a giant lawn dart. It's going to hit the water, you know, several hundred miles an hour about 140 miles out and break up and sink to the bottom.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: Cowart says his team will learn a lot about how this tall, skinny rocket responds to the stress of liftoff.
Mr. COWART: We like to use the - what's become a rather trite phrase, that we're rocket scientists, but it is what we're doing. This is really rocket science. And it's not something you do on a lark. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: But things might soon get even harder than just rocket science. The White House recently asked a panel of 10 independent experts to review all of NASA's plans for human spaceflight. It released it's final report last week. MIT astronautics professor Edward Crawley was on the panel. He says they had no doubt that given enough time and money, NASA could successfully develop and fly Ares I.
Professor EDWARD CRAWLEY (Astronautics, MIT): That's really not the central question. The central question is not whether can NASA build the Ares I, really the question is should NASA build the Ares I.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: He says the rocket design made sense when it was first planned�
Prof. CRAWLEY: But times have changed. The budgetary environment has become much more tight, and the understanding of the costs and schedule to develop the Ares I has matured.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: In short, it's taking longer to develop this rocket than people originally thought. The space shuttles are supposed to be retired next year. Crawley says, under the best of circumstances, Ares I won't be ready until 2017. That's really too late for its main mission, taking astronauts up to the space station. The space station currently only has funding through 2015. Even if the station gets money to last another five years, that would eat up part of NASA's budget and probably cause more delays for Ares I.
Prof. CRAWLEY: And really the question before NASA and as framed by the committee is, are there alternatives that would deliver a capability earlier and at a lower cost, but with the same criteria for safety?
GREENFIELDBOYCE: For example, private companies are developing rockets that could take crews and cargo up into orbit close to Earth, letting NASA focus on bigger rockets that could go to the moon or beyond. I asked Jon Cowart back at the launch pad if his team's morale was suffering because these questions were being raised right before their first big flight test.
Mr. COWART: I would say probably it has the opposite effect. When we see these things which don't put Ares, what we consider to be, in the best light, it actually inspires us to make this rocket do better.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: He said people ask him why do they test at all, if it's not clear the rocket will move forward. He tells them no matter what happens, the data will be useful for rocket science.
Mr. COWART: And to borrow a quote from one of my favorite rocket designers, Wernher von Braun, one good test is worth a thousand expert opinions.
GREENFIELDBOYCE: The test flight is scheduled for 8 a.m. Eastern Time tomorrow morning.
Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
