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The Future Is Now

This photo shows a Friction Stir weld being performed on the new Vertical Weld Tool at the Marshall Space flight center. The Vertical Weld Tool is capable of assembling tank barrel sections up to 40-feet in diameter and 25-feet in length, and will be used to assemble full-scale Ares I developmental hardware.

For more information on NASA's Constellation Program and the next generation of manned spacecraft.