From Launch Pad 39B at Cape Canaveral, FL, NASA finally launched its unmanned prototype of the Ares-1X booster rocket. Lift-off took place at 11:30am EDT. Foul weather earlier in the week prevented earlier launch attempts.
The flight peaked at an altitude of 28 miles and then dropped into the Atlantic Ocean - parachutes softening its landing.
The test vehicle here was basically a 4-element solid rocket booster off of the shuttle with a dummy fith element added plus the dummy Orion capsule/and second stage. The dummy second stage was designed to impact the ocean and sink. This vehicle is pretty tall at 327 feet while sitting on the launch pad.
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Ref. Space.com. October 28, 2009. By Clara Moskowitz.(http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/091028-ares-1x-2nd-launch-day-wrap.html)
Ares-1X Test Launch. image by Roger Guillemette of SPACE.com.
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