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The Artemis II rocket is poised for launch from a platform at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.(Image credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images)Share by:
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NASA is preparing for a practice run of the Artemis II huge lunar vehicle tonight, after frigid temperatures pushed the mission’s earliest liftoff back to later in the week.
The Artemis II and its four-member team will now journey from Earth toward the moon no sooner than Sunday (Feb. 8), two days later than the formerly anticipated window, based on an announcement by NASA.
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“For the duration of the last several days, engineers have been closely observing conditions as freezing temperatures and breezes travel throughout Florida,” a NASA representative penned in the announcement. “Directors have assessed hardware abilities versus the predicted forecast considering the uncommon polar outburst impacting the state and opted to revise the schedule.”
NASA must pass a simulated launch before the agency can move forward with an actual launch. The simulated launch makes up a “wet dress rehearsal,” at which engineers evaluate the fueling of the Artemis II rocket. This was initially arranged for as soon as Jan. 31, but NASA is now aiming for Monday (Feb. 2), with the simulated launch window opening at 9 p.m. ET. The agency stated that the evaluation should proceed until approximately 1 a.m. ET (Feb. 3).
Any date that NASA aims for a test or launch is liable to change. The complicated character of space travel signifies that setbacks are frequently part of the procedure, therefore we might anticipate NASA to postpone the earliest launch window once more if climate conditions aren’t advantageous, or if technical snags surface. The prospective launch windows for Artemis II extend to no later than April 2026.
The Artemis Program is accustomed to delays. Artemis I went back to NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building on two occasions in 2022 after issues during wet dress rehearsals. The uncrewed vehicle ultimately lifted off during NASA’s fourth attempt at launch in November 2022. Artemis II has previously been pushed back multiple instances, partly so mission engineers can better grasp problems that emerged during Artemis I.
Artemis II’s forthcoming mission marks the initial instance in more than half a century that NASA is transporting individuals to the moon, and the first occasion that a woman will be a part of the personnel. The mission’s Orion craft will circle around the moon on a 10-day journey, verifying systems ahead of the Artemis III lunar surface mission, which is scheduled for 2028.
NASA moved Artemis II’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion craft on Jan. 17. With a 212-foot-tall (65 meters) central section and a total height of 322 feet (98 m) together with the Orion crew module on top, the assembly is bigger than the Statue of Liberty.
Engineers have kept Orion switched on with its warmers working through the chill, according to NASA. The agency previously mentioned that its engineers have been fixing concerns in the lead-up to launch. As an example, they addressed dripping ground-support apparatus that is needed to supply Orion with oxygen.
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As soon as Artemis II completes the wet dress rehearsal and simulated launch phase, NASA will execute a flight readiness evaluation before determining a launch date.
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NASA has intentions to dispatch three of its astronauts on Artemis II: Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Koch, joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen.
The team has been isolated in Houston since Jan. 23. Astronauts enter isolation before a launch so that they don’t contract any diseases that could defer their mission. NASA intends to fly the team to Florida roughly six days before launch. However, in the announcement revealing the postponement, NASA stated its directors were “evaluating the schedule” for the team’s arrival.
NASA anticipates that the Artemis Program will encourage a stable presence on the moon and act as a launching pad for conveying humans to Mars.
TOPICSNASASpace Launch System
Patrick PesterSocial Links NavigationTrending News Writer
Patrick Pester is the trending news writer at Live Science. His work has appeared on other science websites, such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick retrained as a journalist after spending his early career working in zoos and wildlife conservation. He was awarded the Master’s Excellence Scholarship to study at Cardiff University where he completed a master’s degree in international journalism. He also has a second master’s degree in biodiversity, evolution and conservation in action from Middlesex University London. When he isn’t writing news, Patrick investigates the sale of human remains.
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