ARES I Engine Test Scheduled for September 10th

Having recently completed the first functional, full-scale prototype of the new DM-1 engine that will power up the ARES I delivery system, NASA and ATK Space Systems, a division of the Brigham City, Utah-based Alliant Techsystems, attempted a test firing on August 27th. They failed because of a minor glitch in a fuel valve in an auxiliary power unit. While the source of the error had not yet been completely identified, officials at the agency and the company decided to reschedule the test for next week, on September 10th, at the same ATK-owned, Promontory, Utah-based test facility that saw the test firing of the boosters currently outfitting the space shuttles, Space reports.

“Specific suspect circuitry and components have been identified and are being methodically investigated, utilizing a systematic, detailed fault tree approach. The team is assessing removal and replacement plans for potential suspect items,” an ATK spokesperson said in a statement. The test firing of the five-segment motor will cost NASA about $75 million, according to official numbers. ARES I's massive, five-segment first stage is 154 feet (47 meters) long, and is capable of generating a maximum of 3.6 million pounds of thrust, which is about 24 percent more power than that of one twin Shuttle solid rocket booster.

In the August 27th test-firing attempt, the countdown was stopped with just 20 seconds more to go until ignition, as a mechanism that was supposed to modify the direction of a motor nozzle failed to function. Engineers investigating the mishap said on the same day that a valve was most likely the cause, but refrained from stating they were absolutely sure about this. The failed attempt came as a huge disappointment to the thousands of onlookers gathered around the blast site.

A successful ARES I test would assure critics that Project Constellation is on the right track, and that the 2015 deadline for its maiden flight could be respected. This becomes even more important now, as the White House-appointed NASA review panel is seriously considering dropping ARES I out of the Project altogether. There is still much work to be done, especially on the Orion Crew Exploration vehicle and on the ARES V heavy-lift rocket, which both depend on ARES I. Controversies are now raging on as to whether this is the best course of action for the agency to take.