Gizmodo:
Although NASA canceled its Constellation program, key research
from the project could be put to use on future spacecraft.
While developing the
Ares 1 rocket, engineers discovered that it had a
crucial flaw: During the final stages of a launch, the burning
down of the solid rocket caused the entire vehicle to oscillate
so rapidly that the crew couldn't read the digital display.
Rather than involving a costly fix, however, the problem proved
to have a relatively simple solution. After an extensive period
of trial and error, the engineers decided that, instead of
trying to fix the shake, they would make the digital display
strobe in time with the vibration. In his article, Gizmodo
staff writer Brent Rose describes his trip to NASA's Ames
Research Center, where he got the chance to climb into the
"driver's seat."
