Nasa Ares 1-X rocket blasts off in Florida

Nasa's unmanned Ares 1-X rocket has successfully launched from the Kennedy Sapce Center in Florida. It blasted off just after 3.30pm GMT (11.30am EDT) on its mission to help develop a new space taxi service to the moon. After firing its motors for just over two minutes in the test flight, the rocket parachuted down into the Atlantic Ocean, where it will be recovered by a Nasa ship. The launch followed several delays after Tuesday's planned lift-off was cancelled because of bad weather. The slender 100m-tall vehicle is the first of its type built by Nasa for more than 30 years.

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ITN | October 28, 2009

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