Nasa’s Space Launch System cuts short vital test

Engines of Boeing rocket fired for only a minute, potentially delaying push to return humans to the moon by 2024

Nasa's Boeing-built deep space exploration rocket has cut short a crucial test, after briefly igniting all four engines of its core stage for the first time.

Mounted in a test facility at Nasa's Stennis space centre in Mississippi, the Space Launch System's (SLS) 64-metre core stage roared to life for just over a minute on Saturday, well short of the roughly four minutes engineers needed to stay on track for the rocket's first launch in November.