October 28, 2009 Ares I-X rocket blasts off Play video

(NECN: Cape Canaveral, Florida) - NASA's newest rocket, the Ares I-X, blasted off on a brief test flight Wednesday, taking the first step in a back-to-the-moon program that could be shelved by the White House.

The 327-foot rocket's launch was delayed by a day by bad weather at the launch site. The experimental rocket carried no passengers or payload, instead using hundreds of sensors to check the flight's performance.

It was the first time in nearly 30 years that a new rocket took off from Kennedy Space Center.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.