NASA and ATK successfully test Ares first stage motor

There is a great video of the test firing of the ARES first stage motor now available on the web.

The video is captured from a high speed camera aimed at a mirror positioned 50 feet from the nozzle at 5000 frames per second. This unique view shows the ignition from inside the core of the motor.

The 12 slots of propellant in the forward segment appear, and then are quickly overcome by the inner flame.

The actual mirror survives for less than a millisecond before it is destroyed by the 3.6 million pounds of thrust exiting the Ares development solid rocket motor.

See
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/
multimedia/ares/dm1_success_vids.html