Mission: Ares 1-X

Ares I-X Test Flight a Success, NASA Says
28 October 2009, 12:37 p.m. EDT

NASA is calling its Ares I-X test launch today a success after a day of delay due to weather. The rocket blasted off at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT), with its solid rocket motor first stage separating as planned from a dummy upper stage two minutes later. The first stage has splashed down under parachutes in the Atlantic Ocean. A recovery ship will retrieve it to be returned to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center spaceport. The dummy upper stage crashed into the ocean and sank, as planned.

Click here for the full story from SPACE.com reporter Clara Moskowitz at the Kennedy Space Center.

-- Tariq Malik

SEPARATION! Ares I-X First Stage Separates as Planned
28 October 2009, 11:32 a.m. EDT

The Ares I-X rocket’s first stage, a giant solid rocket motor, has separated as planned about 26 miles above Earth. The first stage will parachute back to Earth, while the dummy second stage, Orion crew capsule and abort tower will continue on a parabolic trajectory to a height of 28 miles before crashing into the ocean. Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Tariq Malik

LIFTOFF! Ares I-X Blasts Off on Test Flight
28 October 2009, 11:30 a.m. EDT

NASA’s Ares I-X test rocket has blasted off from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with liftoff at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT) after repeated delays due to weather. The flight is expected to last just over 2 minutes. Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Tariq Malik

New Ares I-X Launch Time – 11:30 AM EDT
28 October 2009, 11:15 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mission managers are still awaiting an approaching patch of clear skies to proceed with this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X Development Flight Test from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39-B. Launch time has been again re-targeted for 11:20 AM EDT (1520 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT). Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

-- Roger Guillemette

New Ares I-X Launch Time – 11:20 AM EDT
28 October 2009, 11:04 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mission managers are still awaiting an approaching patch of clear skies to proceed with this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X Development Flight Test from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39-B. Launch time has been again re-targeted for 11:20 AM EDT (1520 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT). Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

New Launch Time For Ares I-X – 11:08 AM EDT
28 October 2009, 10:53 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mission managers are banking on an approaching patch of clear skies to proceed with this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X Development Flight Test from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39-B. Launch time has been re-targeted for about 11:08 AM EDT (1508 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT). Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

 Weather Currently "No Go" for Rocket Launch
28 October 2009, 10:47 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Weather officer Kathy Winters just reported that the weather is "red" for an Ares I-X launch attempt now. The launch teams are now looking forward to see when the break in the clouds might appear.

Launch director Ed Mango has just polled his team and everyone reported "go" for launch, with no constraints besides the weather barring a launch.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

NASA Targeting 11 A.M. for Rocket Launch
28 October 2009, 9:50 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA is now hoping to lift off its Ares I-X test rocket at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT). Weather officers are still looking toward a break in the clouds that looks to reach the launch pad around that time. Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

The flight has been held on the ground by cloudy weather since its launch window opened at 8 a.m. EDT.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

New Launch Time For Ares I-X Test Flight
28 October 2009, 9:11 a.m. EDT

 CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mission managers are banking on an approaching patch of clear skies to proceed with this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X Development Flight Test from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39-B. Launch preparations have been running more than an hour behind schedule and the launch time has been re-targeted for about 10:30 AM EDT (1430 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT). The launch team is positioned to launch earlier if weather conditions permit. Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Click here for SPACE.com’s launch preview.

The countdown clock is being held at the T-minus 4-minute mark as the launch team awaits clearance to proceed. Technicians have been systematically checking the Ares I-X to verify that no systems were affected by a late-night thunderstorm that triggered 154 lightning strikes near the rocket.

Weather conditions remain marginal to support a launch attempt this morning. Launch weather officer Kathy Winters is briefing the launch team about the anticipated 'hole in the clouds' that would permit a safe launch attempt. High level clouds around 25,000 feet has been causing a violation of a launch safety rule, known as the triboelectrification rule – atmospheric conditions that could trigger static electricity as the rocket flies through the cloud layer. NASA Searches for a Break in the Weather
28 October 2009, 8:50 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Mission managers are hoping for a break in the clouds that have so far prevented the test rocket Ares I-X from lifting off. Launch is now targeted for around 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 GMT), though Lt. Colonel Patrick Barrett of the 45th weather squadron said the weather was more likely to clear around 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. EDT.

"Right now it looks like it's starting to break up a little bit," Barrett told SPACE.com. "Currently our concern is with upper level clouds."

The first half of today's four-hour launch window still looks a bit better than the latter half, he said, as rain showers look to develop later on.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Clouds Keep Ares I-X Test Flight On-Hold
28 October 2009, 8:30 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mission managers are hoping for a patch of clear skies to proceed with this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X Development Flight Test from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39-B. Launch preparations have been running behind schedule and the launch time has been re-targeted for no earlier than 9:15 AM EDT (1315 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT).

The countdown clock is being held at the T-minus 4-minute mark as the launch team awaits clearance to proceed. Technicians have been systematically checking the Ares I-X to verify that no systems were affected by a late-night thunderstorm that triggered 154 lightning strikes near the rocket.

Weather conditions remain marginal to support a launch attempt this morning. Launch weather officer Kathy Winters is closely watching for a 'hole in the clouds' that would permit a safe launch attempt. A layer of high level clouds around 25,000 feet has been violating a launch safety rule, known as the triboelectrification rule – atmospheric conditions that could create static electricity as the rocket flies through it.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

Rocket in Countdown Hold
28 October 2009, 8:19 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Ares I-X launch crew is in a planned hold at the T-4 minute mark, waiting for all final checks on the rocket to be completed and for the weather to clear before moving toward a liftoff. Launch is now scheduled for no earlier than 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT).

The main weather risk now is still a phenomenon called "triboelectrification," which is static electricity that could be triggered when the rocket flies through clouds. This static could interfere with the booster's sensitive instruments.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Ares I-X Awaits Clear Skies to Launch
28 October 2009, 7:30 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mission managers await the arrival of clear skies for this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39B. Launch time has been re-targeted for between 9:00 and 9:15 a.m. EDT (1300 - 1315 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT).

Launch preparations have been running behind schedule as technicians re-validated vehicle systems after a number of overnight lightning strikes near the Ares I-X – no issues were detected with the rocket.

Weather remains a concern. Meteorologists are closely monitoring a layer of high level clouds around 25,000 feet for a violation of a launch safety rule, known as the triboelectrification rule – atmospheric conditions that could create static electricity as the rocket flies through it. A band of clear skies is approaching the Kennedy Space Center and the launch team hopes to be ready to launch at that time.  

The 327-foot-tall, 1.8-million-pound Ares I-X test vehicle is essentially a marriage of two different rocket systems - a four-segment space shuttle solid-fuel booster mated with the Atlas V avionics package. Ares I-X is fitted with a dummy second stage and a mockup of an Orion crew capsule and escape rocket. More than 700 sensors are mounted on the Ares I-X to measure vehicle performance and stresses, along with three television cameras.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

 Rotating Service Structure Retracted From Ares I-X
28 October 2009, 6:50 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The rotating service structure protecting the Ares I-X rocket at Kennedy Space Center's pad 39-B is being retracted to its launch position.

Launch is now targeted for 9:08 a.m. EDT (1308 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT). Launch preparations are currently running about an hour behind schedule as technicians validated Ares I-X vehicle systems after a late-night thunderstorm triggered 154 lightning strikes within 5 miles of the rocket.

Weather conditions are marginal to support a launch attempt this morning. The official launch weather forecast has been downgraded to only a 40 percent probability of acceptable conditions for launch – the primary concern is a stationary layer of high clouds around 25,000 feet that are currently violating the 'triboelectricification' rule, atmospheric conditions that could create static electricity as the rocket flies through.

The 327-foot-tall Ares I-X is nearly 143 feet taller than the space shuttle stack and is the second tallest rocket ever developed by the United States - only the 363-foot tall Saturn V rocket used in the Apollo moon landing program was taller.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

Doors on Side of Rocket Closed
28 October 2009, 6:34 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Technicians have succeeded in closing the doors on the side of the rocket that allow access to onboard instruments. A few stuck bolts on the doors seemed to be posing a problem, but ground crews resolved the issue and the countdown is back on track.

The next step for the launch team is to retract the large metal protective shroud, called the rotating service structure, from around the rocket.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Launch Countdown Further Delayed
28 October 2009, 5:56 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The countdown toward today's planned launch of the Ares I-X test rocket has slipped a bit more. NASA is now targeting a launch at around 8:45 or 9 a.m. EDT (1245 or 1300 GMT).

Launch crews are trying to complete the normal steps to power up the vehicle and prepare it for launch, while simultaneously checking out the rocket to make sure it incurred no damage from lightning strikes near the launch pad last night.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Countdown Running Slightly Behind Schedule
28 October 2009, 5:35 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The countdown toward today's planned launch of the Ares I-X test rocket is running a bit late, though no major issues besides the weather have cropped up.

NASA is now targeting a launch at around 8:15 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. EDT (1215 or 1230 GMT).

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Weather Outlook Worsens for Rocket Launch Today
28 October 2009, 5:00 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Weather officer Kathy Winters has downgraded the chances of favorable weather for the Ares I-X launch today from 60 percent to 40 percent. High clouds in the area that were expected to leave more quickly are lingering.

Additionally, a thunderstorm reigned over Cape Canaveral during the night, and lightning struck near the rocket's Launch Pad 39B four times, NASA spokeswoman Linette Madison said. While there is no indication that the lightning damaged the vehicle, crews must make a series of checks to make sure. They plan to carry out the tests simultaneously with the countdown, Madison said.

Click here to read the launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Second Launch Countdown for Ares I-X Begins
28 October 2009, 1:00 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA has initiated a the countdown toward liftoff of its test rocket Ares I-X for the second time in two days. The agency is hoping to loft the experimental booster at 8 am EDT (1200 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center here.

The first attempt to launch the Ares I-X rocket Tuesday was repeatedly thwarted by foul weather and a series of unlucky events.

Click here to read the full launch scrub story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

SCRUB: NASA Aims to Launch Ares I-X Wednesday
27 October 2009, 11:40 a.m. EDT

NASA has called off any more attempts to launch the Ares I-X rocket today citing bad weather that repeatedly thwarted liftoff earlier in the day. The agency is now aiming to launch the rocket during a four-hour window that opens Wednesday at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).

Click here to read the full launch scrub story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Tariq Malik

New Launch Time for Ares I-X – 11:24 am ET
27 October 2009, 11:16 a.m. EDT

NASA has tweaked the launch time yet again for the Ares I-X rocket test. Liftoff is now set for 11:29 am ET. High wind speeds exceeding NASA’s launch rules are to blame. Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.  

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

-- Tariq Malik

New Launch Time for Ares I-X – 11:04 am ET
27 October 2009, 10:51 a.m. EDT

NASA has tweaked the launch time again for the Ares I-X rocket test. Liftoff is now set for 11:04 am ET, but bad weather continues to be a concern. Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

-- Tariq Malik

New Launch Time for Ares I-X – 10:54 am ET
27 October 2009, 10:09 a.m. EDT

NASA is now targeting a new launch time of 10:54 am ET (1454 GMT) for the Ares I-X rocket  after the latest weather delay. A 15-minute patch of good weather is expected at that time. Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

-- Tariq Malik

HOLD! NASA Halts Ares I-X Countdown Due to Weather
27 October 2009, 9:51 a.m. EDT

After resuming the launch countdown briefly, NASA has put the Ares I-X launch on hold again due to bad weather. NASA weather officer Kathy Winters predicted the weather would be no-go at launch time.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

-- Tariq Malik

New Launch Time for Ares I-X - 9:44 am ET

27 October 2009, 9:28 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Launch has been re-targeted for 9:44 AM EDT (1344 GMT) – weather conditions permitting. Launch preparations have been running behind schedule, but the countdown clock will soon restart at the T-minus 4-minute mark. Today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT). Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Weather conditions are expected to be good for about a half hour. Ares I-X needs about 10 minutes of fair skies in which to laung on its 2-minute test flight. A stubborn probe cover at the top of the rocket gave engineers some trouble, but finally pulled free thanks to some extra elbow grease.

"It came loose," NASA commentator George Diller said as applause and cheers erupted in launch control.

The 327-foot-tall, 1.8-million-pound Ares I-X test vehicle is essentially a marriage of two different rocket systems - a four-segment space shuttle solid-fuel booster mated with the Atlas V avionics package. Ares I-X is fitted with a dummy second stage and a mockup of an Orion crew capsule and escape rocket. More than 700 sensors are mounted on the Ares I-X to measure vehicle performance and stresses, along with three television cameras.

Ares I-X will accelerate through Mach 4.7 – more than four times the speed of sound - during the first two minutes of flight. At approximately 130,000 feet, the launch vehicle’s first stage will separate from the upper stage.

The Ares I-X vehicle upper stage simulator and the Orion crew module and launch abort system mockup will separate from the first stage, continue on a suborbital ballistic trajectory and fall into the Atlantic Ocean – they will not be recovered. The Ares I-X first stage booster will release its prototype three-stage parachute recovery system, descending safely into the ocean and floating until retrieved by the solid booster recovery ship, similar to a space shuttle booster recovery. 

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

NASA Targets 9:24 am ET for Ares I-X Launch

27 October 2009, 8:24 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Mission managers have just announced a new launch time for this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39-B. Launch preparations have been running behind schedule and the launch time has been re-targeted for 9:24 AM EDT (1324 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT). Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Weather conditions remain marginal to support a launch attempt this morning. Meteorologists are closely monitoring upper level winds and a layer of high level clouds around 25,000 feet for a violation of a launch safety rule, known as the triboelectrification rule – atmospheric conditions that could create static electricity as the rocket flies through it.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

New Launch Time for Ares I-X

27 October 2009, 8:00 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The countdown clock is holding at the T-minus 4-minute mark at Florida's Kennedy Space Center for this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X from Pad 39B. Launch preparations have been running behind schedule and the launch time has been retargeted for no earlier than 8:29 a.m. EDT (1229 GMT) – today's launch window extends to 12:00 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT). Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

Weather conditions remain marginal to support a launch attempt this morning. Conditions are currently 'Red' or 'No Go' due to a layer of high level clouds around 25,000 feet is causing a violation of a launch safety rule, known as the triboelectrification rule – atmospheric conditions that could create static electricity as the rocket flies through it.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

Weather May Delay Ares I-X Test Flight
27 October 2009, 7:25 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dawn is breaking over Florida's Kennedy Space Center and the countdown is proceeding smoothly for this morning's test flight of the Ares I-X from Pad 39B. Watch it LIVE on NASA TV.

The rotating service structure and vertical stabilization system protecting the Ares I-X rocket have been retracted to their launch position, although launch preparations are currently running behind schedule. Launch remains officially targeted for 8 AM EDT (1200 GMT) – the opening of a launch window extending to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT) - but a launch delay is looking increasingly likely.

Weather conditions are marginal to support a launch attempt this morning. A thickening layer of high level clouds around 25,000 feet is causing a violation of a launch safety rule, known as the triboelectrification rule – atmospheric conditions that could create static electricity as the rocket flies through it.

As a result of the marginal weather forecast, the launch team has not yet removed a protective cover from the '5-hole probe' – a sensor similar to a pitot tube on an airplane that extends into the airstream above the rocket, measuring pressure, temperatures, etc. before the rocket passes through.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

Rotating Service Structure Retracted From Ares I-X
27 October 2009, 6:30 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The rotating service structure protecting the Ares I-X rocket at Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39B is being retracted to its launch position, although launch preparations are currently running about 30 minutes behind schedule. Launch remains officially targeted for 8 AM EDT (1200 GMT) – the opening of a launch window extending to 12:00 Noon EDT (1600 GMT). Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

Weather conditions are marginal, although still within acceptable limits to support a launch attempt this morning. A weather balloon was just launched to measure upper level winds – initial reports indicate that upper level winds are close to maximum limits. The official launch weather forecast still calls for only a 40 percent probability of acceptable conditions for launch.

The 327-foot-tall Ares I-X is nearly 143 feet taller than the space shuttle stack and is the second tallest rocket ever developed by the United States - only the 363-foot tall Saturn V rocket used in the Apollo moon landing program was taller.

 

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story. 

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Roger Guillemette

Winds Pose Flight Test Risk
27 October 2009, 6:20 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At about T-90 minutes, the countdown is proceeding for the liftoff of the Ares I-X test rocket. Weather balloons flying around Kennedy Space Center here indicate that in addition to the cloud and rain risk, strong winds could pose a problem for launch.

Teams are now preparing to remove the rotating service structure from around the rocket at about 6:30 a.m. EDT.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Scaffolding to be Removed From Rocket
27 October 2009, 5:32 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The protective metal scaffolding is set to retract from the Ares I-X test rocket in preparation for a liftoff at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). Called the Rotating Service Structure, the scaffolding allows crews access to the vehicle and protects from harsh weather.

After the structure is pulled back fully, bright xenon lights around the launch pad will be turned on at full strength.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Test Rocket Powered Up
27 October 2009, 5:05 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - With about two and a half hours left in the countdown toward liftoff of the test flight Ares I-X, no major issues besides the weather have arisen.

The rocket is powered up on its Launch Pad 39B here at Kennedy Space Center, and ground crews are preparing to retract the giant metal protective shroud around the booster.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Weather Outlook Still Dim
27 October 2009, 4:30 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The countdown toward launch of the Ares I-X flight test is on track, though weather still seems to pose the greatest risk. The forecast has not improved - chances still stand at about 40 percent of having weather favorable for launch.

"Right now it looks a little bit better earlier in the window," Lt. Colonel Patrick Barrett of the Air Force's 45th weather squadron told SPACE.com.

The biggest risk factors are high clouds and a chance of rain, he said.

Ares I-X is scheduled to launch Tuesday at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center here. Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Countdown Begins for Ares I-X Test Launch

27 October 2009, 1:25 a.m. EDT

NASA was due to begin the countdown at 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT) for the Ares I-X rocket test launch, with liftoff slated for 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) today at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The rocket, a prototype for NASA’s shuttle successor Ares I, has a four-hour window in which to launch.

Weather forecast predict a 60 percent chance of unfavorable flight conditions today. NASA’s LIVE launch broadcast begins at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) on NASA TV.

Click here for SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

-- Tariq Malik

Gloomy Weather Could Delay Rocket Test
26 October 2009, 11:40 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA is on track to launch a trial version of its newest rocket Tuesday, but weather threatens to derail those plans.

Weather officer Kathy Winters has calculated a 60 percent chance of weather prohibiting a Tuesday launch.

"Overall our primary concerns are a chance for showers in the area and also the high clouds that could be in the area," Winters said Monday.

Ares I-X is scheduled to launch Tuesday at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center here. Click here for SPACE.com's launch preview story.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Weather Iffy for Tuesday Rocket Launch
25 October 2009, 12:20 p.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The test rocket Ares I-X is prepped and ready for a liftoff attempt Tuesday, but the weather does not look likely to cooperate, with a 60 percent chance of ill conditions predicted.

"Our weather on Tuesday is going to be a little bit of a problem," said weather officer Kathy Winters.

Because Ares I-X the first test launch of a new rocket, and the purpose of the flight is to gather detailed visual and sensor data about how the booster performs, NASA requires pristine weather to launch. Winters said Ares I-X's weather requirements were more stringent than the conditions needed to launch the space shuttle.

Ares I-X is scheduled to launch Tuesday at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center here.

-- Clara Moskowitz

Dress Rehearsal for Ares I-X Flight Test Underway
24 October 2009, 11:03 a.m. EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Launch teams today are running through a complete countdown simulation of the upcoming Ares I-X rocket test flight, which is scheduled for Tuesday.

The dress rehearsal is the third and last practice countdown for the flight, which will be the very first test of NASA's Ares I rocket concept, intended to replace the space shuttle as a vehicle to carry humans and cargo to low-Earth orbit.

Ares I-X is scheduled to launch Tuesday at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center here.

-- Clara Moskowitz

NASA: Ares I-X GO for Tuesday Launch
23 October 2009, 5:42 p.m. EDT

NASA has cleared the Ares I-X rocket for its planned Tuesday launch at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Click here for the full story.

-- Tariq Malik

Ares I-X Rocket Settles Atop Launch Pad
20 October 2009, 9:13 a.m. EDT

NASA’s new Ares I-X rocket is settling in atop Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a historic seven-hour trek from the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building. The rocket will be secured to the pad for a planned Oct. 27 launch test, set for 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), NASA’s first-ever test flight for its new Ares I-Orion spacecraft launch system.

Click here to watch the Ares I-X rollout live on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Tariq Malik

Ares I-X Rocket Approaches Launch Pad
20 October 2009, 8:05 a.m. EDT

The massive Ares I-X rocket is nearing Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and is slowly climbing up the incline to the seaside launching site. Today’s historic rollout is expected to conclude at about 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT), with the rocket secured to the pad. Watch it LIVE on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

Click here to watch the Ares I-X rollout live on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Tariq Malik

Ares I-X Begins Historic Launch Pad Trek
20 October 2009, 1:47 a.m. EDT

For the first time in 30 years, a new NASA rocket – Ares I-X – is rolling out to the launch pad. The rocket began the slow, seven-hour trek to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:39 a.m. EDT (0539 GMT). NASA plans to launch the rocket on a short, suborbital test flight on Oct. 27. Watch it LIVE on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

Not since the first rollout tests for the U.S. space shuttle fleet in 1979 has a new NASA rocket made its way out to the launch pad. Ares I-X is a precursor to NASA’s full Ares I rocket, the booster designed to launch Orion spacecraft that NASA has picked to replace its aging space shuttles.

Ares I-X stands 327 feet (about 100 meters) tall and is currently the world’s tallest rocket, NASA officials have said. It weighs 1.8 million pounds and consists of a partial first stage and a second stage made entirely of mock-ups and mass simulators.

Click here to watch the Ares I-X rollout live on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Tariq Malik

Conditions Good for Ares I-X Rollout
20 October 2009, 1:07 a.m. EDT

The weather is “go” for today’s planned rollout of NASA’s Ares I-X rocket, a towering booster that stands 327 feet (about 100 meters) tall and is currently the world’s largest rocket. (Watch it LIVE on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.)

Rollout was initially slated for 12:01 a.m. ET (0400 GMT), but was delayed by about an hour. Ground crews are now within about 20 minutes of first motion as ground crews jack and level the Mobile Launch Platform to prepare to haul the 1.8 million pound rocket to Pad 39B.

“This has been a little bit slow-going, but primarily because this is the first time we’ve ever done this,” NASA commentator George Diller said.

Click here to watch the Ares I-X rollout live on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

-- Tariq Malik

Ares I-X Rocket Set for 1 a.m. ET Rollout
19 October 2009, 11:54 p.m. EDT

Preparations to move NASA’s towering new Ares I-X rocket to Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida are taking slightly longer than expected, with first motion now slated for about 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT) – about an hour late. (Watch it LIVE on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.)

The giant 327-foot (100-meter) test rocket is expected to take at least 7 hours to cross the 4.2 miles (6.7 km) between the Vehicle Assembly Building and Pad 39B, a former shuttle launch pad that has been converted to host the new rocket.

Launch is set for 8 a.m. ET (1200 GMT) on Oct. 27.

Click here to watch the Ares I-X rollout live on SPACE.com’s NASA TV feed.

NASA Moves Up Launch Debut for New Moon Rocket
19 October 2009

NASA has pushed back the launch target for the space shuttle Atlantis to Nov. 16 — a four-day slip — to give its new Ares I-X rocket an extra chance to blast off, agency officials said Monday.

To read the full story, click here.

Glitch Delays Rollout of NASA's New Rocket
16 October 2009

A faulty part in the steering system for NASA's new Ares I-X rocket has delayed the booster's trek to its Florida launch pad by at least a day as engineers work to fix the glitch.

To read the full story, click here.

NASA Moves Up Launch Debut for New Moon Rocket
22 September 2009

NASA's first version of the rocket slated to replace the space shuttle and send astronauts back to the moon will make its debut test launch Oct. 27, four days early, the space agency announced Tuesday.

To read the full story, click here.

On the Scene: NASA's Huge Rocket Test
22 September 2009

After two previous cancellations of debut engine tests of NASA's new Ares I rocket, there was a bit of trepidation among the spectators near the ATK Space Systems test facility in Promontory Point, Utah.

To read the full story, click here.

NASA's New Moon Rocket Passes First Engine Test
10 September 2009

NASA's new rocket designed to launch astronauts into orbit and eventually the moon passed a key engine test firing Thursday.

To read the full story, click here.

Dumping NASA's New Ares I Rocket Would Cost Billions
12 August 2009

NASA could save $3 billion to $6 billion by dumping its Ares I rocket and flying Orion spacecraft and U.S. astronauts on upgraded Delta IV Heavy rockets, according to an independent assessment released by NASA on Tuesday.

To read the full story, click here.

First Test of NASA's New Rocket Delayed to Oct. 31
22 July 2009

NASA's first flight test of a next-generation rocket intended to replace the space shuttle is expected to slip another two months, to Oct. 31, officials said Tuesday.

To read the full story, click here.