KSC-2009-6019

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Before daybreak at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, final preparations are under way at Launch Pad 39B for the launch of NASA’s Ares I-X test rocket. This will be the first launch from Kennedy's pads of a vehicle other than the space shuttle since the Apollo Program's Saturn rockets were retired. The parts used to make the Ares I-X booster flew on 30 different shuttle missions ranging from STS-29 in 1989 to STS-106 in 2000. The data returned from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket will be used to refine the design of future launch vehicles and bring NASA one step closer to reaching its exploration goals. For information on the Ares I-X vehicle and flight test, visit http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX. Photo credit: NASA/Carl Winebarger