NASA Postpones Artemis Spacecraft Launch due to Hurricane Ian

The launch of the Artemis I spacecraft was canceled because of the threat of Hurricane Ian, NASA announced.

Hurricane Ian, which strengthened from Tropical Storm to Hurricane, is expected to unleash heavy rains, storm surges, and high winds in Florida after it pounded the Western part of Cuba.

In an advisory, the National Hurricane Center shared that Hurricane Ian is a dangerous hurricane approaching the west coast of Florida.

Hurricane warnings and tropical storm watch have been issued in parts of Florida, with Hurricane Ian could bring coastal flooding.

NASA website explained that Artemis 1 would be the first in a series of missions with humans for deep space exploration and commitment.

The spacecraft is set to travel 280,000 miles from Earth and thousands of miles beyond the moon. The human exploration will be for over the course of about a four to the six-week mission.

It added that the space launch system rocket and Orion spacecraft are considered the most powerful in the world for humans to explore deep space.

Furthermore, Orion will stay in the space system longer than any spacecraft.

Artemis 1

(Photo : by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the AccuWeather report, the Artemis I spacecraft would no longer attempt a launch until or at least mid-October.

NASA's website announced the postponement after managers decided to roll back. The decision was based on the current weather as Hurricane Ian did not show improving weather conditions in the Kennedy area.

Additionally, the report said that it would give time for employees and protect the integrated rocket and spacecraft system.

According to NASA's recent announcement, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis returned to the Kennedy Space Center.

NASA said that SLS is known for missions beyond low-Earth orbit with cardo or crew being carried to the moon or beyond.

Also Read: Astronomers Discover Hot Gas Bubble Spinning Around Massive Black Hole

As the rocket is in storage, the NASA team will conduct maintenance, ensuring the systems are fully working. It announced that the team would perform inspections, retest the system, and plan for the next launch attempt

Canceled launches

AccuWeather reported the canceled launches of the deep space exploration spacecraft:

The first attempt on August 29 did not launch because of a fuel leak and a bad sensor on the main engine.
September 3 launch was canceled because of a fuel leak.
The other launch windows are November 12 to 27 and December 9 to 23.

NASA explained that the contribution of every state in America is key to building Artemis for the long-term human exploration of the moon.

To keep updated with the recent announcements about the Artemis 1 launch and other deep space explorations, you can visit the page of NASA.

Recently, NASA Perseverance Rover captured a cat loaf rock on Mars and saw it from a closer view with NASA's advanced and mast-mounted cameras.

The image became an instant trend on the internet and became NASA week's photo.