Although this rocket and its partner crew capsule really is, in my opinion, nothing special, mainly because it just uses the same old chemical rocket technology that brought the U.S. to the Moon Back in 1969.

I would imagine most of the advancements to be under the hood in the avionics/navigation and computer end of the game, which of course would also add to the overall safety of individual missions.

NASA is scheduled to conduct the first test flight of its new Ares I rocket in the spring of 2009. Its new website will keep you up-to-date on the progress of this launch vehicle that will send astronauts into space and on to the Moon inside the Orion crew capsule.

The Orion spacecraft will send astronauts to the International Space Station and, later, to trips around and to the surface of the Moon.

To keep yourself on top of the progress being made by NASA in this effort, visit the new website at “About the Ares I-X Rocket”

The website was created by NASA “… to offer key information about the details and objectives of the Ares I-X test flight. The site features articles, images and videos that outline the objectives of the Ares I-X test flight and explain how these objectives will influence the design and flight of the Ares I rocket and Orion crew capsule.”

Further, “The Ares I-X flight will test hardware, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I rocket. It also will provide critical data during ascent of the integrated Orion crew exploration vehicle and the Ares I launch vehicle stack — data that will be used to design a vehicle system that is safe and fully operational before astronauts begin traveling into orbit.”

NASA is on a course to return U.S. astronauts to the Moon by the year 2020, the last year of the next decade.

The next step for the United States in NASA’s manned space program is to send astronauts to the planet Mars and other further destinations.

To learn more about Project Constellation, NASA’s newest manned space program, which includes the Orion space capsules and Ares rockets, visit NASA Constellation project website.

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