Ares 1X

[Moonwalker]

Ares I-X is a landmark along the Space Exploration timeline and we're lucky to being able to watch it in REAL TIME on NASATV (or real TVs).

You can't imagine how lucky I am as well

Back in 1992, when I got the old "Shuttle" sim by Virgin Games, I've never imagined, not even in my best dreams, that I'd be able to watch all that stuff live via something called the internet. And just imagine another years, how the quality of live coverage might look like. Possibly HD

[Admin]

Once we went to the skies, there is nothing to hold us, humans, back

Except maybe clouds! 

LOL! And a recalcitrant sensor cover! 

/Admin

[Phixit]

New launch time of 11:00 am EDT. 20% chance of no-go on weather! 

[Moonwalker]

And we're going to get an 80% chance for an 11:00 a.m. EDT lift off (05:00 p.m. CET). It seems AresI-X is going to make it today...

[Moonwalker]

So we've got both mentioned: a 20% "NO GO" and 80% "GO"

[Phixit]

So we've got both mentioned: a 20% "NO GO" and 80% "GO"

It would have been embarrassing if they didn't add up! 

[Mr.Fickles]

T-2 minutes, Good Luck Ares!

[Pocci]

Whooohaaa,

I almost got a heart attack in the first seconds as it looked like tilting over.

I hope that the tilting of the upper stage after (during!) seperation was planned, because I have expected it to be stable a little longer.

NASA: good job

/Armin

[Moonwalker]

A M A Z I N G ! ! !

However, it looked like the vehcile tipped to one side during passing the launch tower. But I'm not sure. The ascent looked quite smoothly from the onboard camera. The SRB didn't even bend like seen on almost all animated NASA videos. Of course it's not really possible to tell from the onboard camera view but, despite all the critics, a ride on top of an SRB seems to be much smoother than expected, at least visually.

[AstroM]

But what was that at separation. It looked like something that was smacked in half by a machete.
Shouldnt the separation be smooth???

[Pocci]

Normally they would have fired some ullage rockets (several mini-SRB's) around the perimeter of the upper stage to slush the liquid oxygen and hydrogen backwards toward the fuel lines and then start the stage engine. All this would be under some guidance.
The ullage and stage engines would keep the upper stage away from the burnt out lower stage.
Here the upper stage is probably complete without any engine (just mass and instruments). So maybe the separation was only a "disconnect" and the tumbling lower stage hit the not literally separated (being in a distance) upper stage.

Just saw the vid with the outside sound, hilarious.

/Armin

[Moonwalker]

What an epic view for the first time since the end of Apollo...

[Phixit]

I'm so glad they were able to launch, they cut it close on weather. "Weather should be green for 10 mins, launch in 10 mins!" Threading the needle.

There is suppose to be a press conference at 1:30pm EDT. Maybe they will let us know if the separation went as planned.

[bradleyjs]

I didn't like that first few seconds either!! Scared me as well.

Whooohaaa,

I almost got a heart attack in the first seconds as it looked like tilting over.

I hope that the tilting of the upper stage after (during!) seperation was planned, because I have expected it to be stable a little longer.

NASA: good job

/Armin

[spaceboy7441]

It did tilt at launch and it is suspected that the lower stage recontacted the Upper Stage but is not confirmed