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NASA's Ares-I prototype rocket launched successfully yesterday:
There's a nice you-tube video with all the telemetry drop-outs edited out.
This is the fourth such event in the history of the American space program.
The Mercury missions were flown with RedStane and Atlas rockets, which had been developed as ICBMs.
Gemini used Titan-II rockets, same thing.
The Saturn I launched the Apollo missions that took place in earth orbit. The first prototype Saturn I was launched October 27, 1961. The first stage was live, the upper stages and the spacecraft were boilerplate.
The first prototype Saturn V launched on November 9, 1967. The space program was running against John Kennedy's self-imposed deadline of the end of the decade, so it was tested in an all-up mode. The first stage was live, first time flown, the second stage was live, first time flown. The third stage was borrowed from the Saturn I, which by that time was a proven vehicle.
The first launch of the Space Transportation System, or Space Shuttle was April 12, 1981. It is the only vehicle in this line-up that was lauched for the very first time with a crew on board. Due to the Shuttle's design, the only way to launch it is a full vehicle.
And the fourth, yesterday, October 28, 2009, was the first launch of the Ares-I launch vehicle which hopefully will become the next generation of launch vehicles to carry people into orbit.