Ares I-Y

Ares IY was the name for the second planned test flight of the Ares I rocket. The main objective of the flight would have been the review of the complete first stage of the Ares I airworthiness and a flight termination from a great height. The mission was planned for the year 2013/2014 and was canceled along with the Constellation program on February 1, 2010.

Construction of the rocket

The first stage would have consisted of a Space Shuttle Solid Rocket derived from the booster with five active segments. This would have been brought to a train to Kennedy Space Center and constructed there on a mobile launch platform.

The second stage would have consisted of a flight-worthy tank with a J- 2X engine dummy. For the service module simulator a weight had been used. The crew capsule would have been equipped only with the flight computers. The mounted thereon rescue rocket would have been functional.

History of the flight

After the countdown, the first stage of the rocket is ignited and the missile would be started. After 123 seconds, the first stage would be about 43 km altitude have been separated and she had fallen back towards the Atlantic Ocean. A little later, parachutes would unfold and to provide a gentle splashdown. The missile had been recovered after a few hours. The second stage would be for a few seconds after the removal flown until the on-board computer would have given the command to the ignition of the J -2X engine. However, since it is inactive, the computer would have assumed a defect and the rescue rocket is activated to remove the car from the stage rocket. During the second stage would be uncontrolled plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, the capsule parachutes should be slowed down and eventually splash down in the Atlantic, where they should be safe.