Ares I-X SRB may have been dented in-flight

Underwater image showing a large dent in the lower segment of NASA's Ares I-X after splash down in the Atlantic, ending a test flight Oct. 28. [United Space Alliance].

Tariq Malik
Managing Editor
Space.com

NASA has discovered a large dent on its brand-new moon rocket after the booster splashed into the Atlantic Ocean at the end of a test flight this week.

The damage to the new Ares I-X rocket, which launched from Florida Wednesday on a short test flight, was spotted by a diving team sent to recover the booster's first stage. The first stage — a giant solid rocket booster — was dented near its base.

NASA spokesperson Amber Philman told SPACE.com that the space agency is still awaiting word on what may have caused the damage.

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