NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Hardware for the Ares I-X Flight Test Rocket Preps for Stacking

Ares I-X hardware at Kennedy Space Center. Image Credit: NASA

Hardware for the Ares I-X flight test rocket is prepared for stacking in NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Rocket pieces that were once at various manufacturing sites spread across the country in a 2,000 mile circle are now within a quarter mile of the NASA processing facilities. Next month, the pieces will be moved within an 18 foot circle as the I-X team prepares to stack the vehicle.

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NASA's first flight test for the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system is launching in 2009. The flight test, called Ares I-X, will bring NASA one step closer to its exploration goals -- to return to the moon for more ambitious exploration of the lunar surface and to travel to Mars and destinations beyond.

More Information
> Ares I-X Fact Sheet (PDF, 1.0 MB)
> Ares I-X Mission Specifications (PDF, 8 MB)
> Management Bios
> Ares I-X Integration Map (PDF, 4 MB)