Ares I-X Away!

The Prandtl-Glauert singularity forms as Ares I-X goes transonic (NASA)

What’s the cloud surrounding the Ares I-X during its transonic flight? Have a look at my Discovery News Big Pic for the answer…

You could say it’s been an eventful day… but you’d be understating the importance of the last 24 hours. We saw the first test launch of the Constellation Program, and it was a success (despite being delayed by a day). Although it’s going to be a while until NASA processes all the data gathered from the launch, I watched that elegant white rocket take to the skies above Kennedy Space Center and thought “I can see astronauts travelling on that thing.”

Alas, this thought may be fleeting as the Constellation Program is underfunded and lacking direction. However, there’s a lot to be said for seeing the Ares I test vehicle soar 28 miles into the atmosphere. Could this “proof of concept” sway funding decisions in NASA’s favour?

I couldn’t even guess right now.

So, for now, let’s enjoy the Ares I-X launch and congratulate NASA on a job well done. The US space agency has done mankind proud. Again.