Ares I–1 Flight Test set for 2009

The Constellation project is starting to roll along, but NASA will face delays if Congress doesn't follow through with funding. I'll have more information about this issue later.

Ares I–1 Flight Test
"Scheduled for 2009, Ares I–1 is planned to be the first test flight of the Ares I vehicle. The test flight objectives are focused on first-stage flight dynamics, controllability, and separation of the first and upper stages. The Ares I–1 flight will consist of a functional booster stage and an upper stage mass simulator, which has the same mass as the actual upper stage. By flying the vehicle through the first stage, the test flight will also verify the performance and dynamics of the shuttle’s solid rocket booster in “single stick” arrangement. (The usual shuttle configuration is two rocket boosters with one external fuel tank.)..."