NASA to launch long- delayed Artemis 1 mission to Moon in the coming week
2 min read 12 Nov 2022, 05:59 AM ISTNASA revealed that the long awaited Artemis 1 mission that has been postponed thrice in recent months will finally be launched next week
PremiumOn Friday, NASA revealed that the long-delayed plan to launch uncrewed mission to the Moon is scheduled for next Wednesday. NASA informed about the plan after inspecting the minor damages tropical storm Nicole had caused while passing through Florida.
Senior NASA official Jim Free told reporters that there was "nothing preventing" a launch on that day and that teams from NASA had gained access to the launch pad on Thursday.
The heavy lift rocket, the most potent ever constructed by contractors for NASA, is now scheduled to launch on Wednesday at 01:04 local time (0604 GMT), with a potential window of two hours.
The unmanned Artemis 1 mission will move the US one step closer to sending astronauts back to the Moon five decades after the last time they set foot there.
The Orion crew capsule will be launched to the Moon by the rocket without touching down on the lunar surface. I f everything goes according to plan, the mission will last for 25 and a half days before the capsule returns on December 11 with a splashdown in the Pacific.
According to Free, the US space agency must power up the vehicle and conduct some technical tests before the launch, among other things.
There may need to be a replacement for one component on the rocket's base that was possibly damaged.
Already, he eagerly awaited launch has been postponed thrice in past few months.
Free, is NASA's associate administrator for exploration systems development. He informed that two back-up launch dates have been set for 19 November and 25 November, if required.
The rocket was battered by category 1 Hurricane Nicole's winds as it was positioned on its launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center. However, according to Free, the wind speeds were not greater than what the car could handle.
He did admit, though, that the SLS rocket would have remained in the vehicle assembly building if NASA had been aware of the hurricane's impending arrival.
In order to protect it from Hurricane Ian, the rocket was brought back inside the structure in September. However, just a few days before Nicole arrived, it was moved back outside to the launch pad.
The flagship Artemis programme, which aims to send the first woman and the first person of colour to the Moon by 2025 at the earliest, will soon begin with the launch of Artemis 1.
In order to establish a long-lasting human presence on the Moon, NASA plans to build a space station in its orbit. This is viewed as a preliminary step toward the first mission to Mars.
(With inputs from AFP)
