NASA TV has released a remarkable video of the Oct. 28 Ares I-X test flight.
This video was shot using a special gyro-stabilized, high-definition camera system mounted on a Cessna Skymaster “chase plane.” This aircraft was cruising at 12,000 feet altitude and was about 10 miles from the launch pad at liftoff.
The six-minute film catches up with the Ares I-X a few moments after it has left the pad and follows the flight in amazing detail, right through the splashdown of the spent solid-rocket booster stage into the Atlantic Ocean. It includes a close look at the parachute malfunction that caused the booster to smack into the water much harder than expected, resulting in heavy damage.