The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft will be launched not on November 14, but on November 16 due to hurricane Nicole.
The launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) carrier rocket with the Orion spacecraft to the Moon as part of the Artemis 1 (Artemis-1) mission has been postponed from November 14 to November 16. The reason for this depends on the approaching hurricane Nicole in Florida . This was reported by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
“NASA continues to monitor Tropical Storm Nicole and has decided to reschedule the launch of the Artemis 1 mission to Wednesday, November 16, pending safe conditions for staff to return to work and conduct post-storm inspections ,” the statement said.
The agency considered the safest option to leave the rocket at the launch site, taking measures to protect it from the possible effects of the storm. Strong gusts of wind pose the greatest danger here, however, according to engineers, the design of the rocket can withstand them.
Note that the launch is scheduled to take place from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center during the two-hour launch window, which opens at 01:04 US East Coast time. If launched today, the ship, at the end of the mission, will be transported to the Pacific Ocean on December 11. The reserve launch date is November 19.
As part of the Artemis 1 test mission, the Orion spacecraft in unmanned mode must head to the Moon and remain in orbit for several weeks. After that, the ship must return to Earth and drive into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
The Boeing SLS launch vehicle is the most powerful in the world. In the basic version, it is capable of launching 95 tons of cargo into orbit. The promised modifications of the launch vehicle should provide an increase in the carrying capacity of up to 130 tons.
According to the plan of the American space agency, in 2024 it is planned to carry out the Artemis 2 mission, where a crew of four astronauts will go to the moon.
The Artemis program was published in September 2020. The main goal of the program is to return American astronauts to the lunar surface 53 years after the last mission and prepare the conditions for a possible colonization of the Moon in the future.
Remember that NASA’s Lucy spacecraft took new pictures of our planet and the moon.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.