NASA’s Next Launch Vehicle
Last week, I traveled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL, to see preparations for Ares 1-X, the first test flight for NASA’s next family of launch vehicles called Ares. These rockets will replace the aging space shuttles and will eventually return humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The purpose of Ares 1-X is to gather flight data for the design and development of Ares 1, which will fly in 2015.
Technology Review will feature the Ares 1-X mission (scheduled for August) in the July/August edition of the magazine. But I wanted to share a few amazing photos from my trip. I also got some shots of Space Shuttle Endeavour on the launch pad; it’s serving as a backup and potential rescue vehicle for the Atlantis launch scheduled for May 11–the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.


![]() |





Keep Reading
Most Popular
DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.
“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.
What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines
New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.
Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats
With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure
Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation
From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.