Posted on Jul 07, 2009 02:32:04 PM | Constellation | 5 Comments
-
Stacking is set to begin for the Ares I-X vehicle on Wednesday, July 8 in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. It's been a long time since the workers in the VAB have seen a new vehicle. In fact, it's been 25 years since a new vehicle was stacked.
Following nearly three years of work by thousands of dedicated team members, the Ares I-X vehicle is ready for stacking on the Mobile Launch Platform, or MLP, in the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.
Over the last week, the management team has met for reviews. Today (July 7), a “go” was given for the stacking operations. All of the modification work has been completed in VAB High Bay 3, as well as the Mobile Launch Platform, in preparation for the new Ares I-X vehicle.
Tomorrow, the Ares I-X aft assembly, composed of the aft skirt and aft motor segment, will be rolled from the Rotation Processing and Surge Facility to the VAB and lifted by overhead crane and placed on the MLP. (Be sure to check out the KSC gallery for photo updates.)
Over the next month, the stacking operations will continue with the additional motor segments, simulated upper stage segments and the vehicle will be completed when the simulated crew module and launch abort system is added to the top. (There will be a time-lapse camera. NASA will be posting video and images.)
We will keep you posted on this blog, on our Facebook page and Twitter.
Let the stacking begin!
Tags : Ares, Ares I, Ares I-X, Ares Rocket, Ares V, Ares rocket, Constellation, General, Marshall, Moon, Orion
5 comments so far ( Post your own )
- 5
On Jul 11, 2009 12:12:47 AM
guest
wrote:
I'm so excited to see a new space craft almost ready to go.
I watch the first moon landing 40 years ago, it makes me fell like a child again!!!!!
Dan- 4 On Jul 08, 2009 07:36:18 PM Kyle wrote:
Is the crew module on top of Ares I or Ares X?
- 3 On Jul 18, 2009 04:37:39 AM David wrote:
i was born in 1968, and its good to see the 'apollo' mission for the next generation. this is going to be exciting. ill be there to watch the launch for sure
- 2 On Jul 11, 2009 09:02:59 PM George Campbell wrote:
That is a great picture of the Super Section One stack! I hope some inside pictures can be provided so we can see how the cabling and plumbing are interconnected as each section is stacked.
- 1 On Jul 18, 2009 12:36:45 AM Dan wrote:
This is all very exciting and I hope everything works better than planned. I have 2 questions: with what frequency will the Constellation system launch when we have three of them? I believe the expectation for each Space Shuttle was to launch ten times annually back when they were designed. Will Constellation achieve this? Thirty manned launches a year could achieve allot.
Question 2: I know this is a little off the subject, but is there any chance we will see a more aggressive development of nuclear propulsion. Now THAT would be something.
Thanks, and keep it up!
Dan - 4 On Jul 08, 2009 07:36:18 PM Kyle wrote:
Comment notes
Keep comments relevant. Inappropriate or offensive comments may be edited and/or deleted. Avoid adding Web site urls.
Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use
<p>or<br/>. Quotes, apostrophes, and double-dashes are automatically converted to smart punctuation. Be careful when copying and pasting portions of entries or other comments.