NASA successfully completed the second drop test of a drogue parachute for the Ares I rocket. The test was Feb. 28 at the Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Ares I, part of the Constellation Program, will send explorers to the International Space Station, the moon and beyond in coming decades. The drogue parachute is designed to slow the descent of the spent first-stage motor that will be jettisoned by the Ares I during its climb to space. The first-stage solid rocket motor powers Ares I for the first two minutes of launch. (Source: NASA, 03/02/09) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi are both involved in the Constellation Program
