An aerial view of Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, showing newly erected 500-foot-tall lightning towers. At centre are the fixed and rotating service structures that have served the Space Shuttle Program, which are being converted for use for NASA's new Ares I rocket.
Shuttle launch pad prepares for new Moon rocket
4 Jun 2009
The May 31 transfer of Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida from the Space Shuttle Programme to the Constellation Programme is the next step in preparing the first flight test of the agency's next-generation spacecraft and launch system.
NASA's Constellation Programme is developing new spacecraft—including the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles, the Orion crew capsule, and the Altair lunar lander—to carry humans to the International Space Station, the Moon and beyond over the next few decades.
Since the late 1960s, pad B has been instrumental in human spaceflight programmes, such as Apollo, Skylab and the space shuttle. The pad originally was built for the Saturn V rockets to launch the Apollo capsules to the Moon. In July 1975, the pad was modified to support space shuttle operations. The first space shuttle to lift off from pad B was Challenger in January 1986.
The handover took place on Sunday after space shuttle Endeavour was moved to Launch Pad 39A.
The ground operations team will now continue modifying pad B for the Ares I-X rocket launch. Modifications will include removing the shuttle crew access arm and a section of the gaseous oxygen vent arm, and installing access platforms and a vehicle stabilisation system.
The Ares I rocket is based on the booster rockets used by the space shuttle. Extended in length and providing more power, they will be used to shoot the Orion crew capsule into space. Orion is a bigger, modernised version of the old Apollo crew capsule. It will seat up to six people.
The first unmanned Ares I flight test—called Ares I-X—is targeted for no earlier than August 30.
More information:
Ares I-X mission
NASA's Constellation Programme
Adapted from information issued by NASA / Kim Shiflett.
LATEST HEADLINES & TOP STORIES:
> How to find water worlds in space
> Shuttle launch pad prepares for new Moon rocket
> Spotted—the nearest supernova seen in five years
> DOWN TO EARTH: Indonesia's dragon island, seen from space
> Become a Red Planet explorer!
> 50,000 computers are looking for pulsars
> NASA tests largest-ever rocket parachutes
> DOWN TO EARTH: A water-filled Lake Eyre, seen from space
> SETI@home project turns 10
> Woomera hyper-flight test a success
> Student names NASA's new Mars rover
> NASA launches tiny satellite
> Up close with a black hole
> Is gravity wrong?
> Landmark experiment's 90th anniversary
> NASA astronaut to give Sydney lecture
> Earth's blasted life has a long history
> Space Station news conference on Monday—watch it live
> OasISS mission led by European astronaut
> Canadian to spend six months on Space Station
> NASA rover reveals Mars' hidden history
> DOWN TO EARTH: Mexico's super-volcano seen from space
> Recycling reaches the space station
> MAIN NEWS PAGE…
Search SpaceInfo…
