Today is a pretty big day.

The top agency brass has assembled together today at Kennedy Space Center here in Florida for a meeting called the Flight Test Readiness Review. It is, as you might have guessed, a review to determine whether we are ready to launch the rocket. It’s really the “final exam” for Mission Manager, Bob Ess and the Ares I-X flight test team as a whole.

At the FTRR the agency leadership and mission management evaluate the work that the Ares I-X team has done in building the rocket and its ground systems. The review also includes a report from the I-X team on everything the review board has asked them to do in previous reviews. As it stands, the I-X team has answered all of the questions the board asked at the previous System Requirements Review, Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, and Mate Review.

During today’s meeting, presentations are being given on the rocket’s hardware, work progress, mission objectives, what we’re expecting on launch day and weather forecasts.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the members of the review panel give their opinion on whether we are “go” or “no-go” for launch on October 27.

Fingers crossed…