Final Hardware For Test Of NASA's New Rocket Arrives In Florida

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March 19, 2009

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

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

RELEASE: 09-065

FINAL HARDWARE FOR TEST OF NASA'S NEW ROCKET ARRIVES IN FLORIDA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After a seven-day, 2,917-mile journey, a train 
carrying the four motor segments for the Ares I-X rocket arrived 
Thursday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The motor is the 
final hardware needed for the rocket's upcoming test flight this 
summer.

The test flight will provide NASA an early opportunity to check and 
prove hardware, analysis and modeling methods, and facilities and 
ground operations needed to develop the Ares I, which is NASA's next 
crew launch vehicle. The test also will allow NASA to gather critical 
data during the ascent of the integrated stack, which will help 
inform the design of the Ares I rocket and the Orion crew exploration 
vehicle. The data will ensure the entire vehicle system is safe and 
fully operational before astronauts begin traveling in it to the 
International Space Station and moon.

The reusable segments departed March 13 from Promontory, Utah, where 
Ares I first stage prime contractor Alliant Techsystems Inc., or ATK, 
manufactured them. 

"We have achieved a tremendous milestone with the arrival of the 
segments," said Bob Ess, mission manager for Ares I-X at NASA's 
Johnson Space Center in Houston. "For NASA personnel and contractor 
teams throughout the country, this is the culmination of years of 
hard work and dedication."

The Ares I-X first stage uses a four-segment solid rocket motor 
capable of generating 3.3 million pounds of thrust. The motor 
provides the primary propulsion for the vehicle from liftoff to stage 
separation 120 seconds into the flight.

The motor segments for the flight test were taken from the existing 
space shuttle solid rocket booster inventory. The booster used for 
the Ares I-X launch is being modified by adding new forward 
structures and a fifth segment simulator. These modifications help 
NASA better replicate the size and shape of the five-segment booster 
that will be used for the Ares I crew launch vehicle.

"As we move toward a flight this summer, it is exciting to see the 
final hardware arrive at the launch site," said Bob Herman, ATK's 
Florida site director. "We are honored to play an important role in 
helping NASA achieve its exploration goals."

Having arrived at Kennedy, the segments now will be transferred to the 
center's Rotation Processing and Surge facility for final processing 
and integration. The stacking operations are scheduled to begin in 
the Vehicle Assembly Building in April.

To follow the progress of the Ares I-X mission with the Ares I-X blog, 
visit:

http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/Ares I-X

For more information about Ares I-X, Ares I and NASA's next-generation 
rockets, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ares 

	
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