The test launch or the Ares 1-X rocket (the test vehicle for the Ares 1) has been scrubbed for today, due to weather.
The Ares 1 is the new crew launch vehicle that is to replace the space shuttle as the NASA's method for launching humans into space. The shuttle is
being retired after next year. NASA is also designing the Ares V heavy-lift vehicle, which will replace the shuttle as the method for launching heavy
payloads. The Ares V will not be ready for testing for several years.
The Ares 1 and Ares V are the main vehicles in NASA's early plans to return to the Moon and for manned missions to Mars.
The test flight of this Ares 1-X will only last 2 minutes before the bottom half parachutes into the ocean (while the top half crashes into the
ocean), but NASA intends to gather a lot of data during those 2 minutes.
They haven't set a new time/date for the test launch of Ares 1-X, but it could be as early as tomorrow. I'll update you when I hear something.
Links:
Ares 1
Ares V
[edit on 10/27/2009 by Soylent Green Is People]
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