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The Artemis I drone launch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, scheduled to take place between 2:33 p.m. and 4:33 p.m., has been canceled. Due to problems with one of the four engines, today’s launch had to be postponed.
The next opportunity is now next Friday. If it is not possible to solve the engine problem before Friday, September 5th is the third option. These two dates are already set in case the first launch fails.
An impression of the moon mission:
Before the launch was canceled, there were some glitches that needed to be fixed. For example, there was a leak in the liquid hydrogen supply line.
They also looked for a possible crack in a part of the rocket, but it turned out that this crack was not in that part, but in the foam layer on the outer surface of the rocket that serves as insulation. This has actually delayed the launch. But the problem of one of the four engines could not be quickly resolved, so it was decided to postpone the launch for at least a few days.
Astronauts on the Moon in 2025
The Artemis lunar program is seen as a milestone for NASA, but also for the European Space Agency, which is a major contributor. If the launch continues at a later date, it will be the first lunar rocket to leave Florida since 1972. The last time NASA put humans on the moon was in 1972 on the Apollo 17 mission.
The program is named after Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, and the twin sister of Apollo. After the test flight, you should follow a manned flight around the moon (Artemis II) in 2024. Only in 2025 or later will two astronauts land on the moon with Artemis III. For this task thirteen Candidate landing zones announced.