NASA aborted the second launch attempt of an unmanned moon mission on Saturday. Another attempt won’t be made until Sept. 19 at the earliest, NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Free said. The rocket is returned to the assembly building.
After evaluating flaw data, NASA decided the hydrogen leak was too complicated and time-consuming to troubleshoot while on the launch pad. “Several weeks of work are needed” on the new Artemis moon rocket, Artemis mission chief Mike Sarafin said Saturday (local time). A new launch attempt is possible between September 19 and 30 or even October at the earliest, NASA administrator Jim Free added.
Delays not uncommon
Previously, NASA chief Bill Nelson said the next launch attempt would have to wait at least until mid-October to avoid a scheduling conflict with the International Space Station’s next crew. Delays and failures on launch day are not uncommon in space travel. The chance of cancellation, for example due to technical problems or bad weather, is on average one in three. “We only start when everything is in order. This is standard procedure and will remain so.”
The team is now working on fixing the bugs and plans to return early next week with new capabilities, the company said on Twitter. As reported, the US space agency canceled the countdown for the unmanned moon flight on Saturday for the second time in five days. The technicians failed to get a leak in the liquid hydrogen under control in time. The hydrogen was pumped as fuel into the tanks of the new heavy rocket “Space Launch System” (SLS).
Specifically, the new crew spacecraft Orion should have been tested with an unmanned flight. The capsule is planned to leave Earth’s orbit about 90 minutes after launch and fly within 100 kilometers of the lunar surface. The landing is planned in the Pacific Ocean.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
