Ares I-X rocket arrives at launch pad

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct. 20 (UPI) -- For the first time in more than a quarter century, a new rocket, the Ares 1-X, has been placed on a Kennedy Space Center launch pad in Florida.

NASA said its Ares I-X flight test rocket arrived at the pad atop a giant crawler-transporter at approximately 7:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday. The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 1:39 a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 4.2-mile journey. The rocket was secured on the launch pad at 9:17 a.m.

The rocket is to be launched next Tuesday at 8 a.m. on its first test flight. The Ares I is being designed to carry astronauts into space in the Orion crew exploration vehicle.

During the next week, technicians will perform a variety of electrical and mechanical checks to ready the vehicle for flight. During the test flight, data will be collected from more than 700 sensors throughout the rocket.

"With the arrival of Ares I-X at the pad, this milestone demonstrates NASA's world-class ability to conceptually design, build and process a new launch vehicle in just under four years," said Bob Ess, mission manager for Ares I-X.

Ares I-X is an uncrewed, sub-orbital development test vehicle in a modified Ares I configuration. Ares I-X is the first developmental flight test of the Constellation Program, which includes the Ares I and V rockets, Orion and the Altair lunar lander.