Science | NASA NASA Readies New Rocket for Test Flight It's the first new US rocket in 30 years By Kevin Spak Posted Oct 20, 2009 2:13 PM CDT Copied The 327-foot-tall Ares I-X test rocket moves slowly to launch pad 39B from the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/John Raoux) NASA rolled out a seaside launch pad in Florida today, preparing to test its first new rocket designed for manned space travel in almost 30 years. The Ares I-X is a prototype of the Ares I, which NASA hopes will power the new spacecraft that will replace the shuttle. It blasts off a week from today, Space.com reports. The $445 million rocket will be the tallest in-service booster in the world. The Ares I-X will be unmanned, and many of its components—including the Orion spacecraft that will eventually hold a crew—are mere mock-ups designed for simulation purposes. “The Ares I-X is going to fly straight up and straight out,” said one NASA commentator. The rollout, which NASA broadcast live on NASA TV, comes just ahead of a White House review of manned space operations. Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Trump's spy chiefs back up his Iran claims, citing new intel. Report an error