Ares I-X set to launch

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – The Ares I-X is scheduled to take off Tuesday at 8 a.m. EDT in a test launch of the brand new rocket that’s part of NASA’s Constellation Program. The flight will last just minutes. NASA will broadcast the launch live on NASA TV, which will be webcast simultaneously. The rocket is a sub-orbital prototype for a new booster for the shuttle’s replacement, Orion. The rocket is 327 feet tall. (Source: Multiple, 10/26/09) Gulf Coast note: Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi are both involved in the Constellation Program.