A space rocket is essentially a large bomb, and those in the shuttle attached to it must pray constantly that the designers have got their bomb design just right. This is the situation faced by the brave astronauts that will be flying in the Orbit shuttle attached to the Ares I rocket. This combination forms part of the Constellation program, and launch is hoped to be in 2015 (last month it was 2013, but there have been some issues).

Getting the design right is one of NASA’s main priorities and it takes a huge amount of time. Ares’s initial designs have undergone – and passed – initial testing by the 1,100 strong team of specialists at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Far from being the final word on the safety of the Ares rocket, these initial runs are just the starting point for what is an almost endless series of iterative changes.

The nature of the Ares rocket means that it is largely untested before it shoots off into the cold, dark space carrying its precious cargo. These tests are lengthy, tiresome and very, very expensive. The lives that depend on it, though, will be hoping and praying that no stone is left unturned.