| GEO World | | New Nasa rocket set for test flight | Updated at: 0753 PST, Thursday, October 22, 2009
 CAP CARNIVAL: Nasa's new rocket arrived at the launch pad yesterday for a test flight next week at a time when the future of the country's space-flight programme is uncertain. It is the first time in 34 years that a rocket other than a space shuttle has stood at Launch Pad 39-B.
Nasa modified the pad for this rocket, which is supposed eventually to carry astronauts to the Moon. But the White House may scrap those plans. A panel of aerospace experts that provided President Barack Obama with a list of possible exploration options is issuing its final report this week.
The test vehicle will blast off next Tuesday on a two-and-a-half-minute ballistic flight, costing Nasa $445m. |  |
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