NASA Builds First New Test Rocket in 25 Years
Posted in: NASA, science, space, Space Tech, Today's Chili
It’s been a long time coming: NASA has completed the first new test rocket in over a quarter century, in an effort to replace the aging Space Shuttle fleet, according to Space.com.
The new Ares I rockets will eventually take humans back to the moon; this first one will launch on October 31st in a maiden test flight designed to show that the rocket is capable of carrying astronauts inside an Orion spacecraft into orbit. Ares I is a two-stage rocket that consists of a solid-fueled first stage and a larger, liquid-fueled upper stage, the report said.
The rocket stands at 327 feet high, which is about 14 stories taller than a launch-ready shuttle with all rockets attached, according to the article.
NASA plans to retire the shuttle fleet by 2011, replace them with a system of Ares rockets and Orion craft by 2015, and return astronauts to the moon by 2020.
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