The countdown to a conclusion on why a valve in the Ares I failed continues.
On Thursday a static test of the new Ares I booster that is to be the flagship of a new generation of astronauts heading to the moon in 2019 and eventually to Mars was halted 20 seconds before ignition when a secondary valve on the rocket's power steering system shut down. According to a release from Alliant Techystems, the irregularity occurred in one of the auxiliary power units, a system in the thrust vector control that moves the nozzle. Tests confirmed that the valve did function properly and now the investigation is focused on the ground test controller and related equipment.
Teams are continuing to perform engineering tests and equipment checks on software, hardware and other equipment to determine where the malfunction originated.
The release says that NASA and ATK will not go forward with the scheduled launch on Sept. 1, until the cause of the malfunction has been located and resolved. A thorough review of data will begin on Monday and continue until all 46 test objectives are met.
— Clayton Norlen