![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/_YoCIFkM3GQ8/SU7r1CagCmI/AAAAAAAAB7A/bLuKZ2gKOzI/s400/ares1xsidebar.gif)
As the incoming Obama administration considers whether to accelerate development of the Ares 1 rocket that will replace the space shuttle - or possibly change course and switch to a different system or even extend shuttle operations - NASA is pressing ahead with plans to launch a critical sub-orbital test flight to show off the new rocket and collect valuable engineering data.