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A bowshock forms around the Arex I-X rocket. Credit: NASA
There are some great images of Wednesday’s Ares I-X launch. Most notable is this one of the Prandtl–Glauert singularity
Launch day. Photo credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O'Connell
With more than 12 times the thrust produced by a Boeing 747 jet aircraft and 23 times the power output of the Hoover Dam, the Ares I-X test rocket produces 2.96 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Interestingly, the Ares I-X booster was put together with parts from shuttle boosters that flew on 30 different shuttle missions ranging from STS-29 in 1989 to STS-106 in 2000. Ares I-X weighed 1.8 million pounds, almost twice that of a full 747 airliner.
The space shuttle and Ares I-X. Credit: NASA/Scott Andrews
KSC is a busy spaceport, with the Ares I-X launching and space shuttle Atlantis poised on Launch Pad 39A for liftoff, targeted for Nov. 16. The Ares 1-X is nearly 143 feet taller than the space shuttle stack.
Another view of the launch. Credit: NASA/ Scott Andrews
The data returned from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will be used to refine the design of future launch vehicles and bring NASA one step closer to reaching its exploration goals.
View from inside mission control. Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Ares I-X mission managers watch from mission control as the Ares I-X rocket launches.
Ares I-X. Credit: NASA/Scott Andrews
Here’s the full shot from the lead image showing the Prandtl–Glauert singularity, and here’s Wikipedia’s definition:
“The Prandtl–Glauert singularity or P.G. singularity is sometimes referred to as a vapor cone, shock collar, or shock egg.
The point at which a sudden drop in air pressure occurs is generally accepted as the cause of the visible condensation cloud that often surrounds an aircraft traveling at transonic speeds, though there remains some debate. It is an example of a mathematical singularity in aerodynamics.”
NASA's Ares I-X rocket is seen on Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
This is a gorgeous shot of the Ares I-X on the pad on an evening before launch.
For information on the Ares I-X vehicle and flight test, visit NASA’s website.
About Nancy Atkinson
Nancy Atkinson is Universe Today's Senior Editor. She also is the host of the NASA Lunar Science Institute podcast and works with the Astronomy Cast and 365 Days of Astronomy podcasts. Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.
