NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday that the earliest launch date of the Artemis I mission to the Moon could be in late October but will "likely" take place in the middle of November following several rollbacks due to technical issues
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2022) NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday that the earliest launch date of the Artemis I mission to the Moon could be in late October but will "likely" take place in the middle of November following several rollbacks due to technical issues.
"We know that the earliest it could go is late October but more than likely we will go in the window in the middle of November and of course whenever they need to do to the rocket now that it is safely encased back in the Vehicle Assembly Building, they'll do it," Nelson said in an interview.
Nelson added he is not concerned that the pullback of the Artemis I uncrewed mission will result in a longer delay for the Artemis II manned launch, scheduled for May 2024.
On Monday, NASA officials decided to postpone the launch of Artemis I, originally scheduled for September 27, and to roll the Space Launch System moon rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to protect it from tropical storm Ian, which is expected to make landfall in Florida on Thursday.
US President Joe Biden on Saturday declared a state of emergency in Florida and ordered that Federal assistance be provided to local authorities.
This is the third time NASA has postponed the unmanned mission to the Moon. The launches were previously canceled over a liquid hydrogen leak.
