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Where does the name Ares I come from? How does it relate to Greek mythology?
Ares I is a manned launch vehicle developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in its Constellation program. The name of the launcher "Ares" comes from Ares, the god of war in Greek mythology, who corresponds to Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology. This name not only echoes its goal - the courage and challenge of human exploration of space, but also implies an ancient mythical meaning, symbolizing the brave and fearless exploration spirit of mankind.
Ares I was designed to support future manned space missions, especially planned expeditions to the moon and Mars.
In the original design, Ares I was called the "Crew Launch Vehicle" and was specially designed for the manned spacecraft "Orion" for space missions, especially Space exploration activities after 2011. Ares I is intended to complement the larger unmanned launch vehicle Ares V, which carries cargo into space. NASA selected the Ares design mainly for its safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness.
However, this ambitious plan was canceled by then US President Barack Obama in 2010. This officially ended with the passage of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. Since then, NASA has instead defined its new Space Launch System as a vehicle for future human exploration beyond Earth orbit.
In 1995, a Lockheed Martin Advanced Transportation Systems Study (ATSS) report produced for Marshall Space Flight Center noted that the Ares I design was similar to several potential vehicles that had The second stage of the liquid rocket, and the loaded solid rocket booster (SRB) as the first stage. The subsequent "Exploration System Architecture Research" proposed the concept of "manned exploration vehicles". NASA hopes to explore how to improve the flexibility of its manned spacecraft and support exploration plans for the moon and Mars.
Ares I is regarded as the manned launch component to support the constellation plan. It cooperates with Ares V and is professionally designed for different tasks.
Ares I is designed based on NASA's research on safety and carrying capacity, providing advantages over other existing launch systems. Initially, the first stage design of this rocket was based on a four-stage solid rocket booster. After many tests, it was finally added to five stages to enhance propulsion. Ares I inherited a similar design and architecture between Galileo and the Apollo moon landing programs.
In terms of contractor selection, NASA hired Alliant Techsystems, which builds the space shuttle solid rocket booster, as the chief contractor for Ares I. Boeing is responsible for the electronic equipment installation of the rocket. This series of choices not only demonstrates NASA's determination to seek future progress based on past successful missions, but also strives to achieve financial controllability.
In terms of propulsion system, Ares I plans to use the J-2X rocket engine designed by Rocketdyne. This engine will start on the ground and in a near-vacuum environment, and has been further upgraded technically. This engine is intended to reduce operating costs and increase launch flexibility, just like the J-2 engine in the Apollo program.
The design of Ares I is not only a continuation of the past, but also a reexamination of NASA's aspirations for future manned exploration.
The poor environment in 2020 caused NASA to re-evaluate PDR coordination and system requirements. With the advancement of new technologies, the safety and reliability of Ares I have definitely been further improved. Even after the first test launch of Ares I in 2011, it was obvious that the propulsion of solid rockets could cause high vibration attacks, but NASA's response to this problem once again proved its ability to respond to unexpected technical problems.
Although the fate of Ares I failed to intersect with human space exploration with the end of the Constellation project, its name and the concepts it carried still inspired future space explorers. While thinking about the integration of science and myth, we cannot help but ask: In the process of pursuing the unknown, do humans still need such myths to inspire us with the courage and wisdom to move forward?
