NASA rocket lifts off on short test

MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

NASA's newest rocket blasted off on a brief test flight this morning, taking the first step in a back-to-the-moon program that could be shelved by the White House. The 327-foot Ares I-X rocket resembled a giant white pencil as it shot into the sky, delayed a day by poor weather. Nearly twice the height of the spaceship it's supposed to replace the shuttle the experimental rocket carried no passengers or payload, only throwaway ballast and hundreds of sensors. The flight cost $445 million. It was the first time in nearly 30 years that a ne...