October 29, 2009 —The Ares I-X test rocket lifted off Wednesday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a two-minute powered flight, bringing the agency’s next-generation launch vehicle system one step closer to reality.
The test flight lasted about six minutes from launch until splash down of the rocket's booster stage nearly 150 miles away, and provided NASA with an early opportunity to test and prove flight characteristics, hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I.
"It was a spectacular day," said Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager. "The vehicle flew even better than we expected."
Doug Cooke, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, said the test flight was a “huge step forward” for NASA’s exploration goals. "Ares I-X provides NASA with an enormous amount of data that will be used to improve the design and safety of the next generation of American spaceflight vehicles — vehicles that could again take humans beyond low Earth orbit."
The 327-foot tall Ares I-X test vehicle produced 2.6 million pounds of thrust to accelerate the rocket to nearly 3 g's and Mach 4.76, just shy of hypersonic speed. It capped its easterly flight at a sub-orbital altitude of 150,000 feet after the separation of its first stage, a four-segment solid rocket booster.
Parachutes deployed for recovery of the booster and the solid rocket motor will be recovered at sea for later inspection. The simulated upper stage, Orion crew module, and launch abort system will not be recovered.
The Ares I-X test is part of a larger flight test program that will include three tests of the Orion launch abort system between 2009 and 2012, a follow-on Ares I-Y test, and an integrated test of both the launch vehicle and spacecraft, called Orion 1, in 2015.
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The stars and stripes on the American flag reflect NASA's commitment to teamwork as the Constellation Program's Ares I-X test rocket roars off Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Image credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
The Ares I-X test rocket completed a successful test flight on Wednesday. Photo credit: NASA
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