NASA has again delayed the launch of its Artemis I Moon mission due to a tropical storm next week.
That mission was eventually due to launch on November 14, but tropical storm Nicole, approaching the Florida coast, has forced the US space agency to postpone the launch attempt.
“Adjusting the target launch date will allow the workforce to attend to the needs of their families and homes, and provide ample logistical time to return to launch status after the storm,” NASA said in a statement.
NASA has been monitoring Nicole and has decided to reschedule a launch for the Artemis I mission for November 16 pending safe conditions for staff to return to work and post-storm inspections.
Based on expected weather conditions and the ability to roll back before the storm hit, the space agency decided that the safest option for launch hardware was to secure the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to the pad.
Artemis I is the first integrated flight test of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, an unmanned Orion spacecraft, and ground systems at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, which will pave the way for a manned test flight and future human lunar exploration as part of Artemis.
In September, the US space agency canceled the launch of Artemis I because of the threat of Tropical Storm Ian.
On September 3, NASA attempted to launch Artemis I but aborted it after detecting a liquid hydrogen leak.
