Nasa has rolled out a new rocket which it hopes will take payloads to space as the space shuttles are retired.

Ares 1-X made its first journey on Tuesday -- A 7 hour, 4 mile rollout on the ground to dock it to its launchpad.

NASA is calling its new rocket the next chapter in space exploration.

The 327-foot Ares 1-X is scheduled to lift off on October 27 for its first suborbital test flight -- a potential major turning point in the project. The Ares 1 will carry no payload during the first flight.

But if the White House gives Ares the green light -- the rocket will likely replace the Space Shuttle payload system and could begin carrying astronauts and equipment to the International Space Station within five years -- with plans to act as the delivery system for manned trips to the moon and beyond.