[MID]

There she is...at launch pad 39B today.
Ares 1X stands in preparation for launch...





Reminds me of the first rocket to sit at pad 39, Almost 42 years ago exactly...November 1967. Saturn 501, sits at a brand new, utterly pristine launch complex 39.






GO ARES 1-X !

[DONTEATUS]

Keeps my fingers crossed ,and Sends Obama a Letter not to Cut the program`s but to Feed them!
wishful thinking,but its a start!

[Waspie_Dwarf]

TIME LAPSE CAMERA CAPTURES NASA ARES I-X ROCKET BUILDUP

15 September 2009

In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a time lapse camera documented the buildup of the Ares I-X flight test rocket. The first video was on Nov. 3, 2008 and the final video was on Aug. 30, 2009.

It began with the arrival and integration of the upper stage, or second stage elements, in high bay 4. This was followed in high bay 3 by the stacking of the four solid rocket booster segments on the mobile launcher platform comprising the first stage. The primary elements of the second stage were each then hoisted high above high bay 4, moved across the transfer aisle into high bay 3 and lowered atop the first stage. It concluded as the service module simulator, crew module simulator and launch abort system simulator now integrated together were hoisted into place atop what then became the fully assembled Ares I-X flight test vehicle.

The Ares I-X is targeted to liftoff on Oct. 31 from Kennedys Launch Pad 39B

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube

[Waspie_Dwarf]

ARES 1X Rollout

20 October 2009

For the first time in more than a quarter century, a new vehicle is sitting at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ares I-X flight test vehicle arrived at the pad atop of a giant crawler-transporter at approximately 7:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:39 a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 4.2-mile journey. The rocket was secured on the launch pad at 9:17 a.m.

The vehicle is scheduled to launch at 8 a.m. on Oct. 27. This test flight of the Ares I-X rocket will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, models, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I launch vehicle.

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube

[Waspie_Dwarf]

NASA's Ares I-X Rocket Arrives at Launch Pad in Florida

The NASA press release is reproduced below:

Oct. 20, 2009

Grey Hautaluoma/Ashley Edwards
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0668/1756
grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov
ashley.edwards-1@nasa.gov

Amber Philman
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
amber.n.philman@nasa.gov

Tracy Yates
United Space Alliance, Houston
321-861-3956
tracy.e.yates@nasa.gov

Jessica Rye
ATK Space Systems, Magna, Utah
321-328-2468
jessica.rye@atk.com v


RELEASE : 09-247


NASA's Ares I-X Rocket Arrives at Launch Pad in Florida


CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- For the first time in more than a quarter century, a new vehicle is sitting at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Ares I-X flight test vehicle arrived at the pad atop of a giant crawler-transporter at approximately 7:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:39 a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 4.2-mile journey. The rocket was secured on the launch pad at 9:17 a.m.

The vehicle is scheduled to launch at 8 a.m. on Oct. 27. This test flight of the Ares I-X rocket will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, models, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I launch vehicle.

The Ares I rocket is being designed to carry astronauts to space in the Orion crew exploration vehicle. The Ares I-X test flight also will allow NASA to gather critical data during ascent of the vehicle's integrated stack, which includes the Ares I with a simulated upper stage, Orion and launch abort system. Data collected from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will begin to confirm the vehicle as a whole is safe and stable in flight before astronauts begin traveling into orbit.

"With the arrival of Ares I-X at the pad, this milestone demonstrates NASA's world-class ability to conceptually design, build and process a new launch vehicle in just under four years," said Bob Ess, mission manager for Ares I-X at Kennedy. "Nearly 2,000 NASA and contractor employees located throughout the United States worked together in an unprecedented fashion, resulting in the new vehicle ready for flight."

During the week before launch, technicians at the pad will perform a variety of electrical and mechanical checks to ready the vehicle for flight, including hydraulic power unit hot fire, steering tests and internal power verifications using flight batteries.

United Space Alliance of Houston is NASA's prime contractor for the ground processing of the Ares I-X rocket.

"Processing for the Ares I-X test flight in parallel with space shuttle operations has been a true challenge involving people and hardware from across the country, and we're very proud of what the team has accomplished," said Mark Nappi, vice president of Launch and Recovery Systems for United Space Alliance.

ATK Space Systems of Magna, Utah, is NASA's prime contractor for the first stage of the rocket.

"The NASA and contractor teamwork displayed over the last four years has been the catalyst that brought us to this important milestone today," said Bob Herman, ATK's vice president of Exploration Systems for Kennedy Space Center Operations. "As the Ares I first stage provider, we are looking forward to receiving invaluable data during the flight test."

At the Flight Test Readiness Review on Oct. 23, mission managers will finalize the launch date and provide the team with a final "go" or "no go" for launch.

Ares I-X is an un-crewed, sub-orbital development test in a modified Ares I configuration. Ares I-X is the first developmental flight test of the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I and V rockets, Orion and the Altair lunar lander.

To follow Ares I-X on Twitter, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/NASA_Ares_I_X

For information about Ares I-X, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX

- end -
___________________________

Source: NASA - Press Release 09-247

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Latest Ares I-X News

Ares I-X Launch Preparations Under Way at the Pad


A "Go Ares I-X!" banner on the perimeter
fence of Launch Pad 39B at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center in Florida reflects
the excitement building in Kennedy's work
force in anticipation of the flight test of the
towering 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket.
Image credit: NASA TV
› View larger image

Following the Ares I-X rollout yesterday, technicians at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B continue preparing the test launch vehicle for its targeted liftoff on Oct. 27. The vehicle stabilization system, first stage avionics module access platforms on the payload changeout room, and upper stage access arm were all connected as planned, and the rotating service structure was closed.

Today's work at the pad includes a “first motion test” and servicing of the auxiliary power units, or APUs. On Thursday, the APU "hot fire" will be conducted as part of the integrated systems test. A launch countdown simulation is set for Saturday, with vehicle closeouts scheduled for Sunday.

The Ares I-X Flight Test Readiness Review will be held at Kennedy on Friday. The review is expected to include the selection of an official launch date.

Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Targeted Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Window: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. EDT
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

NASA's first flight test for the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system, called Ares I-X, will bring NASA one step closer to its exploration goals. The flight test will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.


Source: NASA - Ares I-X Flight Test

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 23 October 2009 - 08:52 PM

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Building an Original

10.22.09

Ares I-X has completed the first leg of its upcoming mission.


The 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket is silhouetted
against the early morning sky as it lumbers
along the 4.2-mile route to Launch Pad 39B.
Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
› View larger image

NASA's newest rocket -- currently the largest in the world -- emerged from the Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:39 a.m. EDT Oct. 20, 2009, beginning a 7.5-hour trek through the predawn darkness to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

It's the first new vehicle to occupy Launch Pad 39B in more than 25 years.

The goal of the test is to give NASA the chance to see the Ares I flight hardware, facilities and launch procedures in action. With more than 700 sensors on board, Ares I-X is wired to relay ascent data that will be critical for future flights.

The 1.8-million-pound rocket stayed "steady as a rock" throughout the 4.2-mile journey, according to NASA's Jon Cowart, one of two Ares I-X deputy mission managers overseeing the assembly and launch.


Steep ladders mounted inside the upper
stage simulator provide the only access
inside the vehicle for the installation of
instruments and equipment.
Image credit: NASA/Glenn
› View larger image

"For those of us who've lived with the shuttle and grew up looking at the Saturn Vs, it's obviously a little different than what we're used to seeing," Cowart said as the tracked crawler-transporter carried the 327-foot-tall rocket and its mobile launcher platform to the top of the pad. The rocket's upper stage loomed high above the top of the pad's fixed service structure, surpassed only by the pad's three lightning masts.

Closer in height to the hulking Saturn V moon rockets than the space shuttle, Ares I-X looks unlike any rocket that's ever stood at Launch Complex 39. But it blends familiar hardware from existing programs with newly developed components.

Four first-stage, solid-fuel booster segments are derived from the Space Shuttle Program. A simulated fifth booster segment contains Atlas-V-based avionics, and the rocket's roll control system comes from the Peacekeeper missile. The launch abort system, simulated crew and service modules, upper stage, and various connecting structures all are original.


'We've Got a Rocket'


Platforms surround the Ares I-X in High
Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller.
› View larger image

The fast-paced assembly sequence kicked off in late 2008, when flight hardware began arriving at the Florida spaceport from NASA field centers and contractors across the country.

In order to handle the influx of Ares I-X components, the processing team needed more room than the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3 and booster facilities could provide. So elements were stored, inspected, fitted or joined together in additional facilities across the space center, and even at the Astrotech Space Operations facility in nearby Titusville, Fla.

The simulated upper stage arrived in November 2008 aboard the Delta Mariner barge after a journey from NASA's Glenn Research Center in Ohio. In January 2009, a C5 cargo plane carried the full-scale crew module simulator and launch abort system from the agency's Langley Research Center in Virginia to Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility.

As assembly began, NASA Vehicle Processing Engineer Trent Smith was tasked with ensuring the work was done in the right order and that all necessary parts and personnel were available.

"When the hardware started showing up, I thought, 'Oh wow, it's here,' " Smith said. "We've got a rocket!"

Along with the crew module and abort tower, the upper stage's seven tuna can-shaped pieces, service module, spacecraft adapter and two interstage connectors were staged in the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 4 prior to stacking.

The funnel-like frustum, forward skirt with its extension, and simulated fifth booster segment arrived from Indiana, where they were manufactured by Major Tool and Machine. First-stage prime contractor ATK Space Systems built the four solid-fueled booster segments, which reached Kennedy in March 2009 after a seven-day, cross-country train ride from Utah.


Stacking Begins


A crane lowers Super Stack 3 into High
Bay 4 to be integrated with Super Stack 2.
Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller.
› View larger image

Smaller sections called "super stacks" were assembled first. The two interstage pieces, frustum, forward skirt and extension were mated to the simulated fifth booster segment in early July, completing Super Stack 1.

A day later, the aft, or bottom, segment of the first-stage solid booster rolled into the Vehicle Assemble Building and was secured to the mobile launcher platform in High Bay 3, marking the official start of final assembly.

"When we started stacking, it was a very big deal for us," Cowart said of the Ares I-X team. "We stacked all four of the boosters, then we were ready to bring over Super Stack 1."

Ares I-X finally was taking shape.


The Ares I-X aft assembly is moved to the
Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking.
Image credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
› View larger image

The first "tuna can" segment, comprising upper stage segment 1, was labeled Super Stack 2. Upper stage segments 2 through 5 made up Super Stack 3, and Super Stack 4 comprised upper stage segments 6 and 7. Segments 1 and 7 contain steel ballasts weighing a combined 160,000 pounds to mimic the weight of the Ares I liquid propellant tanks.

"I remember going up to Level 34 and looking down, and going on the E roof -- which is right about where the fifth segment simulator is -- and looking up, then down," Smith said. "That's when it really dawned on us that this is a tremendously tall rocket."

Barely five weeks after stacking began, Ares I-X was crowned with Super Stack 5, consisting of the launch abort system, crew module, service module and spacecraft adapter. The completed rocket towered above the surface of the mobile launcher platform, leaving only 10 feet of clearance for the heavy-lift crane to remove the birdcage-shaped framework that lowered the final pieces into place.

Assembly of the one-of-a-kind launch vehicle finally was complete. But plenty of work remained. The rocket was put through its paces: a power-up test, or "smoke test," to validate the electronics boxes and wiring; a "sway test" to check the vehicle's response to vibrations it could face during rollout; instrumentation tests; and a simulated countdown and liftoff.

Positioned for Launch

Once Ares I-X arrived at Launch Pad 39B, remaining milestones included a hot-fire of the rocket's auxiliary power units and checkout of the communications, instrumentation and telemetry. On launch day, most team members will be at their consoles seven hours before the opening of a four-hour launch window; Smith will ensure things are going well at the launch pad before retreating to a facility a safe distance away.

A successful liftoff will cap a demanding development and assembly process that Cowart believes illustrated NASA's entrepreneurial capability, as well as the dedication of the relatively small team that brought this flight from paper to reality.


Segments of the Ares I-X first stage move
past other stacks toward the fifth simulator
segment stack at right.
Image credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller
› View larger image

Smith emphasized that the Ares I-X effort involved design centers, research centers, and multiple contractors -- all of which intersected at Kennedy.

"There was some education on all sides. Integrating and communicating were key to our success," he said. "What made it so rewarding was working through all the challenges and frustrations."

The Ares I-X flight test vehicle was still a concept about four years ago, Cowart pointed out.

"This is unprecedented in NASA history, for a rocket of this size," he said. "It's incredible."


Anna C. Heiney
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center


Source: NASA - Constellation - Ares I-X Test Flight

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Latest Ares I-X News

Ares I-X Launch Preparations Continue at the Pad


A "Go Ares I-X!" banner on the perimeter
fence of Launch Pad 39B at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center in Florida reflects
the excitement building in Kennedy's work
force in anticipation of the flight test of the
towering 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket.
Image credit: NASA TV
› View larger image

Technicians at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B continue preparing the Ares I-X test launch vehicle for its targeted liftoff on Oct. 27.

Today, the rocket is undergoing full testing, including a "hot fire" of the auxiliary power units as part of the integrated systems test. The rotating service structure was opened at midday and will be moved back into place after an evening test of the Xenon lights is completed tomorrow night.

Also tomorrow, the Ares I-X Flight Test Readiness Review will be held at Kennedy, which is expected to include the selection of an official launch date. At the launch pad, technicians will test the launch pad and ground systems, and ground support equipment.

A launch countdown simulation is set for Saturday, with vehicle closeouts scheduled for Sunday.

Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Targeted Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Window: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. EDT
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

NASA's first flight test for the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system, called Ares I-X, will bring NASA one step closer to its exploration goals. The flight test will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.


Source: NASA - Ares I-X Flight Test

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 23 October 2009 - 08:52 PM

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Latest Ares I-X News

Official Launch Date to be Set Today
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:44:46 PM GMT

Today, the Ares I-X Flight Test Readiness Review is under way at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At the conclusion of the review, the selection of an official launch date will be announced during a live news conference on NASA TV, which is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT. Oct. 27 currently is the targeted launch date.

A few miles away at Launch Pad 39B, technicians are conducting a second day of integrated systems tests. Today's checkouts involve the launch pad and ground systems, and ground support equipment.

On Thursday, the rocket was fully tested, including a successful "hot fire" of the auxiliary power units. The rotating service structure was opened in the afternoon and will be moved back into place after an evening test of the Xenon lights is completed tonight.

A countdown simulation with full launch team support is set for Saturday, with vehicle closeouts scheduled for Sunday.


Ares I-X Flight Test

Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Targeted Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Window: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. EDT
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.


A "Go Ares I-X!" banner on the perimeter
fence of Launch Pad 39B at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center in Florida reflects
the excitement building in Kennedy's work
force in anticipation of the flight test of the
towering 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket.
Image credit: NASA TV
› View larger image

NASA's first flight test for the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system, called Ares I-X, will bring NASA one step closer to its exploration goals. The flight test will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.

Source: NASA - Ares I-X Flight Test

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Official Launch Date Selected
Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:32:47 PM GMT

It's official: Following today's Ares I-X Flight Test Readiness Review at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managers announced Oct. 27 at 8 a.m. as the launch date for the new rocket's flight test.

Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, said the group was unanimous in their assessment that with no technical issues, they are ready to go.

During a news conference following the review meeting, Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager, described today as the culmination of their review cycle and said, "We're good to fly next week."

"It's great to be part of a team that put a rocket together in the time it took," said Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director. "The team is ready to go fly; the vehicle is ready to go fly."

A few miles away at Launch Pad 39B, technicians have been conducting a second day of integrated systems tests. Today's checkouts involve the launch pad and ground systems, and ground support equipment.

On Thursday, the rocket was fully tested, including a successful "hot fire" of the auxiliary power units. The rotating service structure was opened in the afternoon and will be moved back into place after an evening test of the Xenon lights is completed tonight.

A countdown simulation with full launch team support is set for Saturday, with vehicle closeouts scheduled for Sunday. Launch countdown preparations will begin on Monday, with the countdown starting at L-7 hours at 1 a.m. on Tuesday. At this point, launch weather is 40 percent "go" for Tuesday.


Ares I-X Flight Test

Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Targeted Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Window: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. EDT
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.


The Ares I-X test vehicle sits on Launch
Pad 39B just a few miles away from space
shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A.
Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
› View larger image

NASA's first flight test for the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system, called Ares I-X, will bring NASA one step closer to its exploration goals. The flight test will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.

Source: NASA - Ares I-X Flight Test

This post has been edited by Waspie_Dwarf: 24 October 2009 - 08:34 AM

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Building an Original

Platforms surround the Ares I-X in High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building before it was moved to the launch pad on Oct. 20, 2009. Closer in height to the hulking Saturn V moon rockets than the space shuttle, Ares I-X looks unlike any rocket that's ever stood at Launch Complex 39. But it blends familiar hardware from existing programs with newly developed components.

Four first-stage, solid-fuel booster segments are derived from the Space Shuttle Program. A simulated fifth booster segment contains Atlas-V-based avionics, and the rocket's roll control system comes from the Peacekeeper missile. The launch abort system, simulated crew and service modules, upper stage, and various connecting structures all are original.

Image Credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Source: NASA - Multimedia - Image of the Day Gallery

[Waspie_Dwarf]

ARES I X Flight Test Readiness Review

23 October 2009

It's official: Following today's Ares I-X Flight Test Readiness Review at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managers announced Oct. 27 at 8 a.m. as the launch date for the new rocket's flight test.

Doug Cooke, associate administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, said the group was unanimous in their assessment that with no technical issues, they are ready to go.

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Latest Ares I-X News

Ares I-X Ready, Weather Remains Unfavorable
Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:25:09 PM GMT

At this morning's Ares I-X Launch Status Briefing, Launch Test Director Jeff Spaulding said the flight test vehicle is ready for Tuesday morning liftoff. "I'm very happy to report that we are tracking no problems and the vehicle is in great shape."

Weather Officer Kathy Winters offered less favorable news, reporting that there still remains only a 40 percent chance that the weather on Tuesday morning will cooperate. The issue will be a chance of clouds and precipitation in the area. There is a four-hour launch window, extending from 8 a.m. until 12 noon EDT. If weather scrubs Tuesday's attempt, the launch team will try again on Wednesday, maintaining the same launch window.

Today's preparations at Launch Pad 39B include final ordnance work and electrical testing, as well as testing of the range safety command transmitter. Later tonight, technicians will install the flight doors on the fifth segment simulator.

Launch countdown preparations in Firing Room 1 are scheduled for Monday, and the launch teams "call to stations" will come at 12:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday.


Ares I-X Flight Test

Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Targeted Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Window: 8 a.m. EDT
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.


A "Go Ares I-X!" banner on the perimeter
fence of Launch Pad 39B at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center in Florida reflects
the excitement building in Kennedy's work
force in anticipation of the flight test of the
towering 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket.
Image credit: NASA TV
› View larger image

NASA's first flight test for the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system, called Ares I-X, will bring NASA one step closer to its exploration goals. The flight test will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.

Source: NASA - Ares I-X Flight Test

[Waspie_Dwarf]

ARES 1 X Media Briefing

25 October 2009

NASA personnel discuss flight readiness of ARES 1-X.

Source: NASA Channel - YouTube

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Latest Ares I-X News

Ares I-X Liftoff Set for Tomorrow Morning
Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:56:23 PM GMT

The Ares I-X flight test vehicle is poised on Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B and is ready to fly. The launch team reports no issues with the 327-foot rocket, the world's largest at present.

The only spoiler when tomorrow morning's launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT might be the weather. Currently, there only is a 40 percent chance of favorable weather during the window, which extends until noon. The team will have the same four-hour window for a launch attempt on Wednesday if Tuesday's liftoff is scrubbed, and Wednesday's weather shows a slight improvement to 60 percent "go."

The launch team of approximately 30 members will have their "call to stations" at 12:30 a.m., leading into the beginning of the seven-hour countdown at 1 a.m.

NASA's Launch Blog of the Ares I-X launch begins tomorrow at 5 a.m. EDT.


Ares I-X Flight Test

Launch Vehicle: Ares I-X
Targeted Launch Date: Oct. 27
Launch Window: 8 a.m. EDT
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center, Fla.


Sunset at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center in Florida finds
the Ares I-X rocket awaiting the approaching
liftoff of its flight test.
Image credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
› View larger image

NASA's first flight test for the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system, called Ares I-X, will bring NASA one step closer to its exploration goals. The flight test will provide NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.

Source: NASA - Ares I-X Flight Test