NASA rocket launched successfully

NASA's Ares I-X test rocket has successfully lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a day after bad weather delayed its launch.

The US space agency (NASA) launched the 100-meter-tall rocket 15:30 GMT (11:30 EDT) Wednesday for a two-minute powered flight.

The flight test took about six minutes from its launch until the splashdown of the rocket's booster stage.

The launch had been originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was delayed because of bad weather.

For the first time in more than a quarter century, a new vehicle and not a space shuttle was sitting at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

The test flight of the Ares I-X rocket will provide NASA an early opportunity to test and prove hardware, models, facilities and ground operations associated with the Ares I launch vehicle.

The prototype rocket was designed to replace NASA's aging space shuttle. The Ares I-X aimed to test technology for the development of a future manned launch vehicle.

The $450m project is what NASA describes as a 'Pathfinder' vehicle.