Stacking Begins on NASA's New Ares I-X Rocket

The Ares I-X rocket being "stacked" in High Bay 4, VAB.

NASA released photos and information about the 5 sections that make up the United States' new Ares I-X rocket. The Ares I-X is the test configuration of the Ares I launch vehicle. The test, scheduled to be carried out before 30 August 2009 with an announced lift-off time of 7:00 EST, is designed to test the Ares control logarithms, stage separation, and parachute systems. The upcoming tests are part of the initial stages of Project Constellation, proposed by former President George W. Bush with the NASA Authorization Act of 2005.

The NASA Authorization Act of 2005 establishes several long-term goals and benchmarks for NASA to work towards; the act contains the United States government's Vision of Space Exploration (VSE). The VSE calls for American astronauts to return to the moon no later than 2020, launch the new Crew Exploration Vehicle by 2010 (postponed by President Obama in January 2009 due to the souring economy).

The Ares I is nothing more than a redesigned space shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The liquid-fueled second stage of the Ares I is an updated J-2X engine last used in the Apollo program. The lift provided by the Ares rocket will take payloads into low-earth orbit, where the service module (SM) and the new Orion command module (CM) will separate and transport a crew of 4-6 astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), back to the moon, and in the next few decades, on to Mars.

See where it goes..... - Jack
EDIT: CNN.com just posted some new astronomy pictures taken over the years. Clicking here will take you to the article. ***WARNING*** I am NOT responsible for the content of any outgoing links.

Hidden Ambition: North Korea

A Taepodong-2 medium-range ballistic missile, pictured here with with the North Korean mobile launch platform, the Baekdusan.





North Korea's space ambitions, like most of the isolated regime's activities, are a closely guarded secret. The Korean Committee of Space Technology (KCST) was founded sometime in the 1980's and has been quietly adapting the North Korean Artillery Guidance Bureau's rocket technology in order to send satellite payloads into orbit. It should go without saying the KCST is controlled by the Korean People's Army and IS NOT a civilian agency. While many countries' space agencies have close ties to their national militaries, North Korea's KCST is dedicated to advancing the military agenda of dictator Kim Jong-il.

Using a derivative of the North Korean-made Taepodong-2 intermediate ballistic missile, the KCST attempted to launch a satellite into orbit at 3:07 GMT 31 August 1998. The launch of the first Unha rocket is one of two official attempts by North Korea to put the Kwangmyongsong-1 payload into space. Space technology is prohibitively expensive and North Korea can't afford the economic drag of a fully-funded space agency. North Korea's obsession with obtaining nuclear technology, most likely to gain the bomb's bully pulpit, also means the regime can't afford to adequately pursue a real space program. According to Western intelligence agencies, the Kwangmyongsong satellite payload failed to reach orbital height following a faulty third-stage separation.

5 April 2009, North Korea publicly announced another attempted satellite launch using the Baeksudan-2, another Taepodong-2 derivative rocket. Western space agencies are not currently tracking any objects originating from the Kwangmyongsong-2's payload capsule and the United States is suggesting the KCST's announced "science mission" was nothing more than another ballistic missile test.

KCST announced in 2009 that they are working towards putting the first North Korean into space. Based on the North's results with the failed satellite launches, it will probably be years before this is even possible. The future of the KCST and North Korean manned spaceflight would be even more jeopardized if Kim Jong-il's regime were to collapse due to a decline in Kim's personal health, the devastating international embargo on North Korea's economy, or the outbreak of hostilities following an escalation of military forces in response to North Korea's now-public nuclear program.

• Country: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea

• Agency Name: Korean Committee of Space Technology (KCST)
  

• Affiliation: military

• Annual budget: unknown

• Launch-platform: 3-stage Unha rocket, solid fuel (nitric acid, dimethylhydrazine)

• Unmanned capability: unsubstantiated claims of two orbital satellites, Kwangmyongsong 1 & 2

• Manned capability: none

• Lunar ambitions: yes

Be careful.... - Jack

ONE SMALL STEP - my lunar lander is born

Hello!

My name is Jack and I am launching "my lunar lander" blog in an attempt to share all the latest news and interesting bits I come across regarding Man's return to the moon. The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11th landing is July 20th, 2009 - less than 2 weeks away! While humans have not set foot on the moon since December 1972, many countries have recently begun planning to return humans to the moon. The Google Lunar X Prize is encouraging non-governmental organizations to attempt a moonshot by offering a $20M dollar reward for the first team to land a robotic probe on the surface of the moon. The Google sponsored competition is similar to the Ansari X Prize (goal: first privately funded human spaceflight); the X-PRIZE foundation awarded $10M dollars after Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne successful 21 June 2004 mission.

Here is a list of countries who have announced lunar ambitions, the name of their respective space agency and the estimated date of a landing:

• United States (NASA): 2020, unmanned lunar missions June 18th, 2009
• Russia (RSA): 2025, International Space Station.
• European Union (ESA): 2024, unmanned martian missions
• China (CNSA): 2030???, 2nd unmanned lunar mission, Chang'e 2, 2009-2010
• Japan (JAXA): 2025, 2nd unmanned lunar mission (SELENE) on 10 June 2009
• India (ISRO): 2030???, 2nd unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, 2011

This week I will begin a series "International Space Ambitions", going over the histories and futures of government space agencies ranging from North Korea to the EU.

Check ignition and may God's love be with you - Jack