On January 4, 2007, NASA announced that the Ares I had completed its system requirements review, the first such review completed for any crewed spacecraft design since the Space Shuttle.
This review was the first major milestone in the design process, and was intended to ensure that the Ares I launch system met all the requirements necessary for the Constellation Program.
In addition to the release of the review, NASA also announced that a redesign in the tank hardware was made.
Instead of separate LH₂ and LO₂ tanks, separated by an "intertank" like that of the Space Shuttle External Tank, the new LH₂ and LOX tanks would have been separated by a common bulkhead like that employed on the Saturn V S-II and S-IVB stages.
This would have provided a significant mass saving and eliminated the need to design a second stage interstage unit that would have had to carry the weight of the Orion spacecraft with it.
On January 4, 2007, NASA announced that the Ares I had completed its system requirements review, the first such review completed for any crewed spacecraft design since the Space Shuttle. This review was the first major milestone in the design process, and was intended to ensure that the Ares I launch system met all the requirements necessary for the Constellation Program. In addition to the release of the review, NASA also announced that a redesign in the tank hardware was made. Instead of separate LH₂ and LO₂ tanks, separated by an "intertank" like that of the Space Shuttle External Tank, the new LH₂ and LOX tanks would have been separated by a common bulkhead like that employed on the Saturn V S-II and S-IVB stages. This would have provided a significant mass saving and eliminated the need to design a second stage interstage unit that would have had to carry the weight of the Orion spacecraft with it.
Ares I