KSC-2009-2642

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a water truck sprays the dry crawlerway in front of the crawler-transporter carrying the mobile launcher platform on top as it moves away from Kennedy's Launch pad 39B. The platform, turned over from the shuttle program to the Constellation Program last month, will be rolled into the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3 in preparation for the Ares I-X flight test this summer. Ares I-X is the test vehicle for the Ares I, which is part of the Constellation Program to return men to the moon and beyond. Ground Control System hardware was installed in MLP-1 in December 2008. The platform was moved to the launch pad to check out the installed hardware with the Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 equipment, using the actual circuits that will be used when the fully stacked Ares I-X vehicle is rolled out later this year for launch. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett