NASA’s new moon rocket apparently survived hurricane “Nicole” in the US state of Florida largely unscathed: Initial camera inspections revealed only minor damage, such as loose seals and cracks in the weather protection, the US space agency said Thursday.
The SLS rocket needs further investigation ahead of next week’s launch. “Nicole” made landfall in Florida early Thursday morning as a lowest-category hurricane.
Though it weakened on its way to becoming a tropical storm, wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour and thus hurricane-force winds were measured at Cape Canaveral, where the rocket had remained on its launch pad. According to NASA manager Jim Free, the rocket can still withstand wind gusts of this magnitude.
Start postponed due to storm
Because of the approaching storm, NASA had already postponed the planned launch of its new moon rocket on Tuesday. The “Artemis 1” unmanned lunar mission, last scheduled for November 14, is now scheduled to start on Wednesday at the earliest, and NASA has set November 19 as another alternate date. It is the third postponement of the highly anticipated mission in just a few months.
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.
