Ares I rocket igniter successfully tested
Posted on: Wednesday, 11 March 2009, 10:29 CDT
The U.S. space agency says it has successfully tested the igniter that will be used to start the Ares I rocket's first-stage motor.
Ares I is the first launch vehicle in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Constellation family of space vehicles that will transport astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station, the moon and beyond during coming decades.
The igniter performed as expected during the test, generating a flame nearly 200 feet in length, NASA said. The Ares I igniter is an enhanced version of the igniter used in the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters.
The new igniter is approximately 18 inches in diameter and 36 inches long.
NASA said. It is a small, high-burn-rate solid rocket motor that is secured in the forward segment of a five-segment booster. Once the command is sent to the igniter, a sequence begins that sends a flame down the core of the 142-foot solid rocket motor. In less than a second, the booster generates more than 3.5 million pounds of thrust, triggering liftoff of the rocket.
Source: United Press International
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