They call it the most powerful rocket ever built. NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) is designed to carry astronauts on deep space missions, and is about to undergo its final ground test at a facility belonging to the rocket's manufacturer, Orbital ATK. I'm at the private viewing area, dotted with trailers, giant white tents, and an enormous video screen. The obligatory countdown clock stands on a nearby hill, red numbers glowing in the low morning light. A single rocket booster is just 2 kilometres away - as close as we can safely get. The booster is tied down on its side, nozzle pointed into a human-cut ravine that will contain its flames. When the SLS launches for its first test flight in 2018, two of these will provide 75 per cent of its lifting power.
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