US premier space agency NASA said on Friday that it would attempt to launch its Moon mega-rocket in November, without providing a specific date for the much-delayed Artemis 1 mission. The latest postponement in Artemis 1 mission comes after Hurricane Ian severy hit Florida this week. It now aims to make the lift-off between November 12 and November 27.
NASA updating about the developments in a blog post said, "As teams complete post-storm recovery operations, NASA has determined it will focus Artemis I launch planning efforts on the launch period that opens Nov. 12 and closes Nov. 27"
"Over the coming days, managers will assess the scope of work to perform while in the VAB and identify a specific date for the next launch attempt"
"Focusing efforts on the November launch period allows time for employees at Kennedy to address the needs of their families and homes after the storm and for teams to identify additional checkouts needed before returning to the pad for launch." It added
NASA had to return the SLS rocket - the most powerful ever designed by the space agency- to its storage hangar at the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday to protect it from Hurricane Ian.
Talking about the impact of Hurricane Ian on Artemis-1, the space agency said, "There was no damage to Artemis flight hardware, and facilities are in good shape with only minor water intrusion identified in a few locations."
In late August and early September, NASA attempted to launch the unmanned Artemis 1 mission, but both failed due to technical issues and had to be abandoned.
NASA's flagship program Artemis 1 will be its first mission to Moon in fiifty years with the last mission being the Apollo program.
Artemis 1 will also carry the Orion capsule at the top of the rocket and could be used to safely transport a crew to the moon in the future.
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