NASA’s successor to the space shuttle, the Ares 1, has successfully completed it’s first experimental test flight. The Ares 1-X lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 11:30AM local time after a morning of weather delays. Roughly 40 km above the Atlantic ocean the first stage of the rocket successfully separated, marking the end of the test.

The successful test comes at a critical time for NASA, which is under enormous budgetary pressures. Earlier this autumn, an independent presidential panel suggested it might be cheaper to cancel the Ares 1 vehicle and move the money into commercial development.

NASA TV is replaying the launch for anyone who wants a look.

credit: NASA