NASA has delayed the launch of Artemis I, the newest rocket to the moon. The delay is due to Ian, a tropical storm worsening weather conditions with its approach.
Artemis I launch delayed again
NASA announced that it is delaying the launch of its new rocket to the Moon. “NASA is forgoing a launch opportunity… and preparing for rollback (from the launchpad) while continuing to watch the weather forecast associated with Tropical Storm Ian,” stated NASA on Saturday. Thi sis the third delay in the past month for the lunar-orbiting test featuring mannequins in place of astronauts. The previous delays were due to technical issues and hydrogen fuel leaks.
According to weather forecasters, tropical storm Ian is expected to turn into a hurricane by Monday. However, by Thursday, it will slam into Florida’s Gulf coast. Hence, NASA decided to forgo the launch planned for Tuesday and returned the 98-meter-long rocket to its hanger. Deep tropical moisture will spill across the Spaceport Tuesday, with widespread cloud cover and scattered showers likely during the launch window,” stated a US Space Force forecast.
Re-attempting the launch and more
The American space agency could reattempt the launch on October 2 if the rocket stays at the pad. This will be the last opportunity before a two weeks long blackout period begins. The Artemis team has approval from the US Space Force for launching the attempt on September 27. However, they have secured October 2 as a backup launch date. The Space Force is in charge of overseeing launches from the East Coast. NASA’s launch site in Florida is known as the Eastern Range.
However, pushing the Artemis I launch into November will result in a long delay for the test flight. If the first test flight is successful, the Space Launch System (SLS) will be leading a two-person moon landing mission in 2025. The SLS is NASA’s most powerful rocket.