August 14, 2009

Ashley Edwards/Grey Hautaluoma
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1756/0668



Jennifer Morcone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034


MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-156

NASA AND ATK SET NEW DATE FOR FULL-SCALE ARES I MOTOR TEST

WASHINGTON -- NASA and Alliant Techsystems Inc., or ATK, will conduct
the first full-scale, full-duration test of the new first-stage solid
rocket motor for the Ares I rocket at 1 p.m. MDT, on Thursday, Aug.
27. The test will take place at the ATK test facility in Promontory,
Utah.

The test was previously scheduled for Aug. 25. The new date allows
key
NASA and ATK personnel to support this test and the upcoming STS-128
space shuttle Discovery mission. Discovery is targeted for launch on
Aug. 24.

The static firing of the five-segment solid motor, designated
Development Motor -1, will last two minutes. The goal is to obtain
valuable thrust, roll-control, acoustics and vibration data as
engineers continue to design Ares I.

To attend the test, journalists must register with ATK. For
information and to request credentials, contact ATK's Trina Patterson
at 801-699-0943. The registration deadline for U.S. reporters is Aug.
24. The deadline for foreign journalists is Aug. 18.

Interviews with project managers may be arranged in advance. News
media bringing live broadcast trucks must request parking prior to
the event.

The first-stage solid rocket motor is managed and tested by the Ares
Projects Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,
Ala. ATK Space Systems is the prime contractor for the Ares I first
stage. The Ares I rocket is designed to launch the Orion spacecraft
and the next generation of NASA astronauts.

For more information about Ares, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ares

-end-