An interesting dilemma for any big company pushing out a large project is, once a problem has been encountered that is likely to jeopardize the planned release date of the goods, whether to push the release date back or risk the quality of the project by rushing it forward. In the past – notably with the space shuttle project – NASA has chosen the latter route. Considering there are real lives at danger, real sons, daughters, mothers and fathers, this really is unacceptable.

This time around NASA seem will to admit that they have made mistakes and to address them early. Far from being a bad sign, in many respects NASA’s push of the expected launch date of its Constellation program from 2013 to 2015 was a positive move. Their biggest announcement for 35 years – that of the success of the preliminary design for the Ares I rocket – was another step in the right direction for the government organization. Ares is a critical part of the Constellation project and it is good to see it finally moving.

The Ares rocket will propel the shuttle ‘Orbit’ into, well, Orbit. Over 1,100 specialists and experts have poured over the plans of the Ares rocket to ensure that problems are caught – and addressed – earlier rather than later.