Earlier this year, the Space Shuttle went into retirement after 30 years of service. But its successor - to be unveiled by Nasa today - looks very familiar.

The Space Launch System, which will cost up to $35billion, according to senior sources within the Obama administration, is a giant, powerful liquid-fuelled rocket more akin to the Apollo missions than to the Space Shuttle. 

The astronauts even sit in a small capsule on top - but this time the destinations will be further afield, with an asteroid the first planned destination, followed by Mars.