NASA's Ares I Rocket Passes Design ReviewNASA's Ares I Rocket Passes Design Review

NASA's next-generation rocket has passed preliminary design reviews and is on track to carry the Orion crew exploration vehicle and its astronauts into space in 2015.

The Ares I rocket will power Orion, its crew of up to six astronauts, and small cargo payloads to the International Space Station. It will also be used for missions to explore the moon.

NASA said the design review marks the first such milestone in 35 years for a U.S. rocket that will carry astronauts into space.

More than 1,100 reviewers from seven NASA field centers and industry partners examined the Ares I launch vehicle design to ensure plans will meet NASA's requirements for the fully integrated vehicle.

"This is a critical step for development of the Ares I rocket," Rick Gilbrech, associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington, said in a statement Wednesday. "Completing the preliminary design review of the integrated vehicle demonstrates our engineering design and development are on sound footing, and the Ares I design work is taking us another step closer to building America's next mode of space transportation."

Workers will continue to assess each element of the vehicle to ensure safety and reliability for detailed designing. The first such assessment is scheduled for this week, when workers examine the J-2X engine.

"This will be one of the safest, most affordable and highest performing rocket engines ever built, and testing is critical as we begin preparation for future flights," Steve Cook, manager of the Ares I rocket, said.

Cook stressed the importance of risk assessment.

"For example, we identified thrust oscillation -- vibration in the first stage -- as a risk," he said. "In response to this issue, we formed an engineering team. The team conducted detailed analyses and reviewed previous test data, and then recommended options to correct the problem."