A tropical storm stands in the way of the Artemis 1 lunar mission. NASA hopes in vain that the weather in Florida will improve in time. The 98 meter long rocket is therefore transported away from the launch pad. The next chance is weeks away.
After the canceled start of the unmanned moon mission Artemis 1 due to tropical storm Ian approaching Florida, the rocket will be rolled back into its storage hangar late Monday evening (local time), according to the US space agency NASA. NASA said the decision was based on the latest weather forecasts after additional data showed “no improvement in expected conditions.” The move is another setback for the unmanned lunar mission, the launch of which has already been postponed three times.
The transport of the 98-meter-long rocket, which is on its launch pad, is scheduled to begin early Tuesday morning. The moon rocket is transported on a rolling platform that moves slowly so as not to damage the rocket from vibration.
Kennedy Space Center is located in Florida, from which the rocket was supposed to be launched. NASA had waited until the last minute, hoping to schedule a launch attempt shortly after the storm cleared. Within the current launch window, which runs until October 4th, there will now be no more opportunities to take off. The next launch window would be October 17-31.
Two earlier, much-anticipated launch attempts from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida were called off in early September because of fuel leaks. 50 years after the last moon landing, NASA wants to use the Artemis 1 mission to prepare for renewed human journeys to the moon.
The task of the Artemis 1 mission is to test the most powerful launch vehicle to date and the Orion capsule at the top under real conditions. The follow-up mission Artemis 2 is to bring astronauts into a lunar orbit. With Artemis 3, another moon landing should be successful in 2025 at the earliest.
