NASA will attempt to launch its rocket to the moon on a test flight after engine problems halted the countdown on Monday.
The Artemis flight test is the first integrated of the agency’s deep space exploration systems.
NASA’s moon rocket sits on pad 39B after yesterday’s cleanup. The next launch opportunity is scheduled for Saturday.
Technicians said Tuesday they were changing fueling procedures to fix the difficulty. A faulty sensor could also be to blame for the dropped launch, they noted.
The 98-meter (322-foot) rocket, the most powerful ever built by NASA, will attempt to send the capsule around the Moon. There will be no one on board, just three mannequins.
If successful, it will be the first capsule to fly to the moon since NASA’s Apollo program fifty years ago.
All engines appear to be fine, according to NASA. The cool-down operation will take place half an hour before the Saturday afternoon launch attempt, once fueling begins that morning.
An agency spokesman questioned the integrity of an engine sensor, saying it may have provided inaccurate data last Monday. But changing that sensor, he pointed out, would mean transporting the rocket back to the hangar, resulting in weeks of delay.
Weather may be a concern this weekend, with showers and possible thunderstorms over the Kennedy Space Center, said Mark Burger, launch weather officer for the US Space Force. Currently, he said, there is a 60% chance of rain, but added that there will likely be clear conditions during the two-hour launch window.
“The showers tend to have quite a bit of space between them, so I still think we have a very good opportunity weather-wise to launch on Saturday,” he said Tuesday at a news conference.
