NASA To Announce Launch Vehicle Names Today

Editor’s note: According to Rory Cooper, Director of Outreach and Intergovernmental Affairs at NASA’s Office of Legislative Affairs, at 2:30 pm this afternoon NASA will formally announce that the names of its new launch vehicles. The Crew Launch Vehicle will be called Ares 1 and the Cargo Launch Vehicle will be called Ares 5. The names are meant to honor the launch vehicles that sent astronauts on their way to the moon (Saturn I and V) and to note NASA’s eventual destination: Mars. Ares was the Greek god of war – and was known by the Romans as “Mars”.