The United States Space Agency (NASA, for its acronym in English) announced that between November 12 and 27 it plans to launch the Artemis 1 mission to the Moon, after three postponements this year and after Hurricane Ianwhich did not cause damage to the device.
Although he did not announce a precise date, NASA assured that it is preparing for the “liftoff of Artemis 1 in the launch period that opens on November 12 and closes on November 27”.
“In the coming days,” officials “will identify a specific date for the next liftoff attempt,” NASA said in a blog post.
Until now the agency had not completely closed the door to an attempt in October.
But the SLS rocket, the most powerful rocket built by NASA, had to be sheltered in its assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center from Hurricane Ian, which devastated parts of Florida.
The rocket received “no damage”specified the space agency.
But “focusing efforts” in November will allow NASA employees to “take care of their families and homes after the storm.”
Before proceeding to a new attempt, the teams will have to carry out numerous checks, and change or charge the batteries of some elements.
NASA has already aborted two launch attempts for the rocket, in late August and September, due to technical problems.
Artemis is NASA’s key new program to get humans back to the Moon, including the first woman and person of color.
Fifty years after the last mission of the Apollo program, Artemis 1 will not carry a crew. It should serve to verify that the Orion capsule, on top of the rocket, is safe to carry astronauts in the future.
