Ares1-X Launch Pad has "Substantial" Damage!

On Nov 1, 3:11*am, John Doe wrote:

1. Was the damage caused by the rocket's immediate departure form vertical
attitude upon engine ignition ? or was its exhaust different from that
of an SRB during a shuttle launch ?

2. Was the mentioned damage on/in the mobile launch platform or on the
tower itself ?

3. Is hydrazine sent to the shuttle via the launch platform or via the tower ?

4. Is it correct to state that Ares-5, should it be built, would be
significantly higher than its Ares-1 brother and thus need to have the
various tower umbilicals/structures duplicated at different heights ?

5. And if Ares-1 will be launched next to a much higher (ares-5 capable)
tower, has this week test launch really simulated the impact on the
tower since they haven't measured the potential damage at tower levels
that do not exist on the shuttle tower ?


1. It was an old shuttle booster. The exhaust is exactly the same

2. both

3. Via the rotating tower. The leak was at the hinge. This has no
bearing on Ares I

4. Ares I & 5 will have new, different and separate umbilical towers
mounted on different platforms

5. See #4