NASA is an interesting organization; it is also one that much of the world watches with interest. It is no surprise then that the news last month of the Constellation Program slipping two years behind schedule was met with much comment.

So too was the more recent news that the Ares rocket – Ares is the component that will power the Orbit shuttle into space – has passed its preliminary design reviews successfully. ‘Great’, I hear you say ‘Should be ready soon!’. Well, no.

The design reviews are conducted at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama by around 1,000 specialists. The reviews of the Ares rocket are only just starting, and now the iterative refinement stage takes place. This is the first step on a long journey for the Ares rocket.

Such care and attention is vitally necessary as recent tragic shuttle disasters has shown; this is part of the reason that the shuttle will take so very long to finally produce. The designers, understandably, want to iron out any problems with the Ares design before they start building the baby, and certainly long before she fires up.

Still, 2013 is a long time to wait, so all those space fans out there should strongly consider getting back to Star Wars and Star Trek!

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