NASA Sets Briefing about Ares I-X Readiness to Launch

NASA will hold a news conference on Friday, Oct. 23, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to discuss the status of the Ares I-X rocket launch. The briefing will begin at approximately 5 p.m. EDT, after the conclusion of the Flight Test Readiness Review, a meeting to assess preparations for the flight test. The review is expected to include the selection of an official launch date. Ares I-X currently is targeted to launch at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

The briefing participants are:
- Bob Ess, Ares I-X mission manager
- Ed Mango, Ares I-X launch director

NASA Television and the agency's Web site will broadcast the news briefing live. Journalists may ask questions from participating NASA locations. Reporters should contact their preferred NASA center to confirm its participation. For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Live status updates, including the start time for the news conference, will be provided via the NASA Ares I-X Twitter feed during the meeting.

To access the feed, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/NASA_Ares_I_X

The two-and-a-half-minute Ares I-X flight will provide NASA with an opportunity to test and prove hardware, facilities and ground operations while gathering critical data for future launch vehicles. For Ares I-X information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/aresIX