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 In
space, there will soon be a new way to travel. NASA is developing
a new space transportation system to send humans to the International
Space Station, back to the moon and then on to Mars. The new system
is comprised of several components including Ares,
a new launch vehicle that will send the crew members aboard Orion,
the new crew exploration vehicle, into space. NASA’s Glenn Research
Center is helping to develop key parts of Ares I Upper Stage.
 The
Upper Stage is vital because it will provide the final boost to send
humans into Earth orbit. The Ares I First Stage is a single, five-segment
reusable solid rocket booster, derived from the Space Shuttle Program’s
four-segment reusable solid rocket booster. The second stage, or Upper
Stage, is being designed at Marshall Space Flight Center with support
from Glenn. The Ares I Upper Stage is propelled by a J-2X main engine
fueled with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
The primary mission of Ares I—and its 50,000-pound payload capacity—is
to carry crews of up to six astronauts to Earth orbit. During the
first two-and-a-half minutes of flight, the First Stage booster powers
the vehicle to an altitude of about 38 miles and a speed of Mach 5.9
(almost 6 times the speed of sound). After its propellant is spent,
the reusable booster separates and the Upper Stage’s J-2X engine
ignites and powers the vehicle to an altitude of about 83 miles. Then,
the Upper Stage separates and Orion's service module propulsion system
completes the trip to a circular orbit 185 miles above Earth.
As of October 2007, the Ares I Upper Stage Project completed its System
Definition Review and is entering its Preliminary Design phase.
Glenn Support to Ares I Upper Stage
In support of the Upper Stage Project Office at NASA Marshall, Glenn
is designing and developing the following subsystems and components:
- Thrust Vector
Control (TVC) Subsystem – consists of
power and actuation components that control the main
engine’s direction (thrust vector) in order to
steer the vehicle and keep it on course.
- Avionics Subsystem:
- Electrical Power System (EPS) that provides all
the electrical power for the Upper Stage throughout the
entire mission.
- Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) system consisting
of instrumentation to acquire flight data to help validate the
vehicle’s performance during initial development flights.
- Sensors: Advanced, miniature hydrogen leak detection
sensors and software that automate sensor data qualification.
- Structures and Thermal
Subsystem – purge and hazardous gas leak detection
systems for the Upper Stage’s closed compartments.
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