Thu, Oct 23, 2008
First Flight Slated For Next Year
NASA's next-generation rocket system is finally hitting the
road... a necessary step before it can reach for the stars. On
Wednesday, full-scale components for the Ares I-X test rocket left
the hangars of NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, bound for
a Wellsville port along the Ohio River... and, ultimately, Kennedy
Space Center in Florida.
WKYC-3 reports 11 segments of the Ares I-X rocket will make the
journey to KSC, where they will be assembled with other components.
The completed test rocket is scheduled to launch in summer
2009.
In addition to being a milestone accomplishment for NASA, the
rocket parts also mark the first time NASA Glenn has manufactured
components for a full-scale launch vehicle in 20 years... an
accomplishment noted by Joe Roman, president and CEO of the Greater
Cleveland Partnership.
"The GCP is pleased to congratulate the NASA Glenn Research
Center (GRC) and its employees on the occasion of shipping the
first major hardware pieces of the Ares I-X vehicle that will
simulate the Ares I vehicle, the replacement for the space
shuttle," said Roman. "This is another key example of the kind of
innovative technology that is developed here in Northeast Ohio.
"Today is about the future of manned space flight and the future
of NASA Glenn," he continued. "GRC continues to demonstrate its
commitment and ability to contribute to the Space Exploration
Mission. From design to fabrication, as well as testing of
components of the upper-stage mass simulator, spacecraft adapter,
service module, and interstage section, GRC is moving NASA and our
nation to the next level of space exploration."
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