Space Agency Will Use 17 "Shock Absorbers"

In what might strike some as an inelegant solution, NASA announced Tuesday it will employ 17 large vibration dampeners to quell vibrations in its upcoming Ares I booster rocket.

As ANN reported, NASA confirmed in January its engineers were working to fix a "thrust oscillation" issue with the Ares I rocket. The space agency said computerized design models for the rocket showed accelerating gas vortices from the rocket matched the natural vibrating frequencies of the motor's combustion chamber... leading to a whole lot of shaking goin' on.

Thrust oscillation is a phenomenon found in all solid rocket motors, including those used on the space shuttle -- which are also being used on Ares. NASA said in January its program managers had been aware of the problem since October 27.

To combat the issue, The Associated Press reports NASA will attach 16 remote-controlled vibration dampeners, each with 100-lb weights attached to springs able to be moved up and down as needed to counteract such vibrations. A 17th so-called "shock absorber" will be mounted near the rocket's midsection, using a ring of such weights and springs to stop vibrations from reaching the Orion manned capsule atop the rocket.

Ares project manager Steve Cook admits the weights will add, well, weight... but stresses the rocket will be able to handle it, adding other technical issues facing the program will also be resolved.

"There's nothing on our risk list that I would term a showstopper or major issue that we can't deal with," Cook said.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/constellation, www.nasa.gov/ares