The launch of Artemis I, NASA’s first unmanned test mission of systems it hopes will one day carry humans to Mars, was cancelled this morning, as an engine issue left engineers scrambling unsuccessfully for a solution.
Artemis I was originally slated to take off between 8:33 and 10:33 EDT from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA’s Artemis I Press Kit stated. Engineers were unable to get one of the engines into a suitable temperature range prior to liftoff, and were unable to resolve the issue fast enough that NASA could still hit the two-hour launch window, according to a NASA press release.
“The Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft remain in a safe and stable configuration,” the press release stated. NASA had previously designated Sept. 2 and Sept. 5 as potential alternative launch dates in the event the planned launch was scrubbed.
Engineers had encountered a similar problem during a June “wet dress rehearsal,” in which a test fueling was conducted. There were also concerns that one of the engines was cracked, but these concerns turned out to be unfounded, as the crack was in insulating foam, not the joints or other structurally significant component of the rocket.
The next flight window would be Friday if NASA determined the rocket was ready.
With the Artemis I launch from Kennedy Space Center, America takes its first steps in returning humans to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
The Free Press has embedded the Official NASA LIVE Feed below.
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