NASA’s moon mission has been delayed. Artemis 1 had to be aborted shortly before launch. A new date has now been set.
Cape Canaveral – Postponed is not canceled, as the saying goes. The US space agency Nasa has announced a new launch date for the Artemis 1 moon mission. The new lunar rocket – the Orion capsule’s Space Launch System (SLS) – is scheduled for liftoff on Saturday (September 3) at 20:17 CEST. This was announced by NASA representative Mike Sarafin at a press conference on Tuesday.
| NASA moon mission Artemis 1 | Unmanned test flight of the SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft |
|---|---|
| 1st test flight on August 29 canceled shortly before take-off | 14:33 CEST on August 29, 2022, the SLS rocket with the Orion capsule was supposed to lift off |
| 2nd test flight on September 3rd | 20:17 CEST on September 3rd |
| Ort | Kennedy Space Center in Florida (USA), Lauch Pad 39B |
| length | The mission will last 42 days |
| target | distant lunar orbit |
| End | The splashdown is scheduled for October 10, 2022 in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego |
| Costs | More than 30 billion dollars are estimated for the Artemis mission. In addition to NASA and the European Space Agency Esa, the space agencies of several other countries are also involved. |
Artemis 1: Nasa announces new launch date (September 3, 2022) for moon rocket
Then, according to Nasa, a two-hour window will open for Artemis 1 from Cape Canaveral Cosmodrome in Florida. One meteorologist was “optimistic” about the weather, even though there was an “increased” risk of adverse weather conditions.
The first Artemis 1 test flight had to be canceled due to engine problems. One of the SLS rocket’s four engines experienced problems. Engine number 3 could not be cooled down to the required operating temperature, there was an engine leak. “Safety is always first,” NASA tweeted after the crash.
As the next possible start dates, Nasa initially named next Friday and Monday next week. Now it’s Saturday.
Nasa plans return to the moon: This is how the Artemis mission works
After almost 50 years, NASA wants to go back to the moon. The Space Launce System (SLS) is the largest rocket (98 meters high) ever developed by Nasa. Astronauts will fly to the moon again in the future with the moon rocket. The unmanned test flight with the Orion capsule is considered a stress test for further lunar missions.
- Artemis 1 : Test flight of the Space Launch System rocket (SLS rocket) and the Orion crew capsule on it.
Artemis 2 : Manned flight into orbit around the moon.
Artemis 3 : Astronauts are supposed to land on the moon – at the South Pole. There, water was detected in the form of ice. However, NASA is still missing an important piece of equipment – a suitable space suit.
The first launch of the SLS moon rocket under real conditions had to be canceled by NASA. It remains to be seen whether the next attempt will work smoothly. After the problems on Monday, the team decided to change the fuel loading process, explained mission manager Mike Sarafin.
Now the engines are to be cooled down earlier in the starting process. But in addition to the technology, the weather at the Cape Canaveral spaceport in the US state of Florida can thwart NASA’s plans. (ml)
