NASA postponed the launch of an unmanned lunar mission until November 14
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13. A new attempt to launch an unmanned Orion mission to orbit the moon is scheduled for Nov. 14, NASA said Wednesday.
“NASA plans a new launch attempt for the Artemis 1 mission on Monday, Nov. 14,” the agency said. The launch window, during which the superheavy SLS rocket is to launch the Orion spacecraft into orbit, will open at 00:07 U.S. East Coast time. As part of the mission, the craft is to make an unmanned flight through lunar orbit before returning to Earth. If the launch is successful, the spacecraft is scheduled to return on Dec. 9, NASA said.
The launch, which should be the first test flight of the launch vehicle and the spacecraft itself, has been repeatedly postponed for technical reasons. NASA says the flight will take place as it is ready, stressing the need to ensure flight safety in preparation for future Orion manned missions.
The agency said in reference to the new planned launch date, the launch vehicle with the spacecraft will return to the launch pad on Nov. 4. They had previously been removed from it for the duration of Hurricane Ian’s passage in Florida. “Last week’s inspections confirmed the need for minimal work to prepare the rocket and spacecraft for return to the launch pad,” NASA said in a statement. The necessary work is described as standard and includes replacing small sections of thermal shielding, charging or replacing the rocket’s batteries, payloads and the emergency abort system.
In the event the Nov. 14 launch fails, backup dates are scheduled for Nov. 16 and 19.
