SOURCE OF ARTICLE: http://www.floridatoday.com/article...06/NEWS01/Ares+I-X+testing+delayed+to+Oct.+31
NASA's first flight test of a next-generation rocket intended to replace the space shuttle is expected to slip another two months, to Oct. 31, officials said Tuesday.
Managers of the Ares I-X flight test continue to analyze potential technical problems, including vibration levels during the flight, while renovating a Kennedy Space Center launch pad.
Once targeted for April, the critical test now will occur well after a blue-ribbon panel reviewing the future of NASA's human spaceflight program issues recommendations to the Obama administration.
By next month, the review committee is expected to assess whether NASA's proposed Ares I rocket is the best option for returning crews to orbit after the space shuttle's expected retirement next year.
The targeted Halloween launch of the Ares I-X flight test is tentative and must be approved by new NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who has not yet been briefed on its status, officials said.