On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:24 -0400, "Jeff Findley"
wrote:

No one calls SA-1 a stunt.

True, but in that case NASA needed to launch the Saturn I first stage for
the first time as a flight test. Cluster's last stand needed to prove
itself a bit before trusting it with an upper stage and an Apollo CSM.

One could also argue that the extreme height/width ratio of Ares I
needs to be proven a bit before trusting it with an upper stage and
Orion CSM. Lord knows, we've been hearing "it will be impossible to
control!" and "the wind will blow it into the tower" often enough for
the last four years.

Shuttle SRB's have flown many times. The question of Ares I-X is how much
will be learned from this flight which will be applicable to Ares I? I
suppose the jury is still out on that and we'll have to wait and see how the
flight goes and what is learned from the data gathered.

I see it as a confidence exercise for an agency that hasn't fielded a
new launch vehicle since 1981.

Brian