NASA on Friday completed stacking operations for the first test flight of its next generation booster, the Ares I. Launch date for the Ares I-X prototype, which includes a five-segment first stage built by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) and mass-simulator portions of its upper stage and Orion capsule, is tentatively scheduled for 31 October from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
The vehicle’s first stage, which includes one mass-simulator segment, is largely built on the solid rocket booster technology used to loft the Space Shuttle. In total, the Ares I-X stands 100m (327ft) tall.
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| ©NASA/Jack Pfaller |
Source: FlightGlobal.com