Comments on: NASA Unveils Moon Rocket

By: Chris Johnston

Chris Johnston — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:06:44 +0000

Here’s a better animation of the full Orion mission to the Moon than the one I saw years ago…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac5DCgqKRoE

I still don’t like the design of the Altair lander, though: Dinky little tin can of an Ascent stage sitting on top of an effin’ HUGE Descent stage!
Quite disproportionate, methinks. Looks like it’d be awfully cramped in there.

By: alan smithee

alan smithee — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:48:31 +0000

I’m thinking, Slap a seat and this sucker and people will pay big moola to go John Glennish. Funding problem solved.

By: BamaChris

BamaChris — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:32:53 +0000

Well thats a plus. I’m not surprised though, for the ARES program to be thrown out would require Obama actually…..doing something.

By: Johnny Cat

Johnny Cat — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:59:06 +0000

Thanks for the clarification striatic.
I’m no rocket scientist, but are the Ares I and Ares V more disparate than the Saturn Ib and Saturn V? NASA handled those two divergent systems quite well.

By: striatic

striatic — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:47:34 +0000

This is not a “moon rocket”. Ares I is a low earth orbit transport designed primarily for getting people to the space station less expensively than on the Shuttle.

The capsule is designed to also be part of possible future lunar missions, but these missions would use a different launch system called Ares V.

This distinction is extremely important, because the systems are very, very different and it is unknown if NASA will be able to support two divergent launch systems.

An alternative proposed design is DIRECT, which inhabits the gap between Ares I and V, being capable of more complicated Low Earth Orbit missions as well as the lunar mission capability using two launches.

By: Brent

Brent — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:41:59 +0000

I love how in an administration founded on “hope,” they are hellbent on taking away about the only thing left in the world that can actually represent and foster it.

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:38:00 +0000

Just take a look at a pie chart that represents a yearly budget for the federal government. NASA is a very very small piece of that pie.

I never understood why people get so bent out of shape over space exploration costs. Especially when it has advanced our technological boundaries so far.

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:25:38 +0000

Helium 3 is on the moon. Helium 3 provides a very viable method of creating fusion reactors to power countries around the world.

By: lansing wedding photographer

lansing wedding photographer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:14:31 +0000

ah, i’m so torn! i feel like government spending is out of control, and even though I can think of no economic benefit of going back to the moon, it just seems like a good idea.

By: MaximeSteve

MaximeSteve — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:10:33 +0000

That is sad, to my eyes space exploration is one of the key things to invest in !

By: coalitionforspace

coalitionforspace — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:17:25 +0000

Hope it goes well. Pretty much the whole future of the Constellation program is riding on this test flight. http://www.spacecoalition.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/10/19/Stakes-High-fo r-NASAs-Moon-Program

By: jenny

jenny — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:30:55 +0000

am i the only one that wouldnt want to be an astronaut on a rocket of cheaper design?