If you are interested in staying up to date with NASA’s flight programs, you may want to bookmark new pages that are dedicated to the Ares I-X test flight. The organization is currently developing the Ares rockets and Orion crew capsule as a new spacecraft that is expected to fly astronauts to the International Space Station and send them on their way to the moon. The first test flight of the as Ares I-X is scheduled for spring 2009.

NASA said that 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 hopes that  the Ares I-X test flight will bring America one step closer to a return to the moon by 2020 and eventual trips to Mars and destinations beyond.