Obama attempted to cancel the government-designed Ares 1 and Ares V super-heavy-lift rocket programs.

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There is currently some uncertainty over whether the Ares 1 rocket will ever fly.

BBC: Test ignition for 'Moon rocket'

The Ares 1-X is stacked and ready to fly at the Kennedy Space Center.

BBC: Test ignition for 'Moon rocket'

The five-segment booster is intended to power the early flight phase of Nasa's proposed Ares 1 launch vehicle - its replacement for the space shuttle.

BBC: Test ignition for 'Moon rocket'

Orion has just passed its preliminary design review and a test version of the Ares 1 stands ready at the Kennedy Space Centre for a demonstration flight in October.

BBC: Underfunding shackles Nasa vision

Nasa is due to retire its space shuttles next year and replace them with the Orion spacecraft, an Apollo-like capsule that would launch on a new rocket called Ares 1.

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Most of the options would cancel the Ares 1.

BBC: Test ignition for 'Moon rocket'

Many commentators have speculated that the Ares 1 will be cancelled, but they suspect Orion will live on, perhaps launching on a vehicle with a design which relies more heavily on space shuttle technology.

BBC: Underfunding shackles Nasa vision

The architecture calls for two new rockets: the Ares 1 to launch crew, and a new heavy-lift rocket known as Ares 5 that could put into orbit the equipment needed by an Orion capsule to travel to the Moon and beyond.

BBC: Spaceship passes critical review