The Ares I-X prototype rocket, that is considered to be one of the biggest accomplishments of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) finally took off from the Kennedy Space Center launch pad after multiple weather delays. The Ares I-X rocket is expected to be the much awaited replacement for NASA’s space shuttle program and with its launch, the launch pad wrote a new piece of history in its books, as the pad had never launched any other space vehicle, besides the space shuttles in the year 1981.

The launch of the brand new prototype rocket took place at 11 a.m local time and the vehicle cleared the launch pad without any undesired events. The first stage of the Ares I-X rocket was initiated after two minutes of flight time, when the rocket separated itself with the fuel tank at an altitude of 25 miles. As this was a prototype, the Ares I-X rocket did not have a second stage, but according to NASA scientists, the actual version, will indeed be comprised of second stage engine, that will propel the rocket capsule carrying for astronauts into space and rendezvous with the international space station.

The Ares I-X rocket test flight was comprised on 700 on board sensors, that had been embedded in the vehicle for the scientists to gain crucial and valuable flight data, enabling them to make necessary corrections to the actual rocket. The entire test flight has been estimated to have a price tag of $445 million.

The initial time scheduled for the test flight was yesterday, but due to continuous bad weather, NASA had to delay the launch. What worried the scientists even more about the weather conditions was the danger of loss of communications with the spacecraft. As this was a whole new design and completely different from the space shuttles, the weather parameters were more strictly followed.

According to Jeffrey Hanley (Constellation Program, NASA) before the test launch, “

“As the rocket climbs its way through the atmosphere, what are the loads and the environment that it has to see? That’s what Ares I-X is going to inform us most about.”

Via New York Times.