Due to an approaching tropical storm, NASA is again delaying the launch of its new moon rocket SLS into space. The launch of the “Artemis 1” unmanned mission, scheduled for Nov. 14, should now take place on Nov. 16 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, NASA executive Jim Free said on Twitter on Tuesday (local time).
According to NASA, a two-hour window from 01:04 a.m. (local time, 07:04 a.m. CET) is provided for this. The landmark mission, the first of NASA’s “Artemis” program aimed at returning astronauts to the moon, will lift off from launch pad 36B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be the maiden flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) mega-rocket, NASA’s most powerful rocket ever, and a critical test of its Orion space capsule.
Next launch attempt on November 19
November 19 was set as the replacement date. Postponing the start date, workers should be able to provide for their families and homes in view of the expected storm “Nicole,” said NASA executive Free.
The National Hurricane Center expects Nicole to develop into a hurricane on Thursday and hit Florida. A warning has been issued near the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
Already the third postponement of the mission
It is the third postponement of the highly anticipated mission in just a few months. 50 years after the last moon landing, NASA wants to re-prepare for human journeys to the moon with the “Artemis 1” mission. During the unmanned mission, the new giant missile SLS and the “Orion” capsule that sits on it must be tested under real-life conditions. The follow-up mission “Artemis 2” is to put astronauts into orbit around the moon.
Astronauts are expected to set foot on the moon by 2025
With the “Artemis” mission, American astronauts should land on the moon for the first time in more than half a century, including the first woman, by 2024. Due to numerous delays, this landing (“Artemis 3”) will now take place in 2025 at the earliest.
The mission will put four astronauts in the Orion capsule (white in the image above) into orbit around the moon, where two of them will be transferred to a SpaceX lander for the final approach to the moon.
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.
