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The last major televised NASA event was a slight disappointment (probably because everyone expected a huge, visible blast, which just didn't happen), but it doesn't mean we'll stop getting excited about space exploration.
Today, NASA is poised to test launch a new rocket: the Ares I-X. It's a suborbital prototype of a new booster that should launch NASA's new craft (which will replace the current shuttle) Orion. The launch will last for a couple minutes, but that doesn't make it a small event: it costs $445 million. The view, claims NASA, will be "spectacular."