Photos from the last-ever RSRM static test

Thursday ATK tested a Shuttle booster rocket... for the very last time.







More photos here: up-ship.com...

If somehow a Shuttle-dervied launcher goes ahead, ATK may someday fire up another motor like these. But since the Ares and Constellation programs are quite likely dead, it's like will not pass this way again.

Hmm, curious is there any other reason why they positioned the booster near the side of a hill? Looks like a lot of debris is getting kicked up into the air

Oh nevermind, that's just the smoke!

These types of boosters are on their way out, I wonder when newer propulsion tech (or antigravity for that matter) will be released... I know 'some group' has these, but for one reason or other it's not released.

I think there's a propulsion concept for a ship to be able to get to Mars in 39 days, and that's a big advancement.

I think they'll increasingly start to use two planes to get to space- like Virigin airlines already did.

I think the Russians will do a good job with two planes- they've built some real monsters, or at least they did back in the Soviet days. We could bring some real cargo out there and it would really stimulate the economy.



[edit on 27-2-2010 by star in a jar]

[edit on 27-2-2010 by star in a jar]

Originally posted by star in a jar
Hmm, curious is there any other reason why they positioned the booster near the side of a hill?

1) Reduces noise by deflecting it upwards.
2) Reduced quantity-distance requirements for both catastrphic failures and normal debris-flinging by blocking it/deflecting it upwards.

I wonder when newer propulsion tech (or antigravity for that matter) will be released...

Sometime after somebody invents it.

I know 'some group' has these

Oh, sure. Paramount, Fox, Lucasfilm, etc. Sadly, celluloid does not translate all that well to reality.