Artemis I: NASA tries for the third time to launch its new rocket to the Moon

The weather promete ajudar, com 90% de chance de estar favorável. “Nossa hora chegará e esperamos que seja quarta-feira”, disse o gerente da missão, Mike Sarafin, na segunda-feira (14). Ele também elogiou “a perseverança” de suas equipes após duas tentativas de decolagem fracassadas devido a dois furacões.

Fifty years after the last Apollo mission, this unmanned test flight, which will fly over the Moon without landing on its surface, seeks to confirm whether the vehicle is safe for a future crew.

This same rocket is expected to take the first woman and the first black person to Moon. Although it is a night launch, around 100 people are expected to admire the spectacle, mainly from neighboring beaches.

NASA will launch rocket to the Moon on November 14

NASA announced, this Wednesday (12), the date of the new attempt to launch its mega rocket to the Moon. The third attempt to take off Artemis I already carried out this year should take place on November 14, with alternative dates on the same week.

Cancellations

The 98-meter-tall SLS rocket had to be returned to its assembly building a few miles away in late September to protect it from Hurricane Ian, delaying liftoff for several weeks.

Then, once it was on its launch pad, it faced the winds of Hurricane Nicole less than a week ago. The storm caused damage to a thin layer of sealant on top of the rocket, but NASA considered the risk minimal.

Altogether, the program is several years behind schedule and has become imperative for the NASA Successfully complete the billion-dollar mission. If takeoff takes place this Wednesday, the mission would last a total of 25 and a half days, with landing in the Pacific Ocean on December 11th.

(With AFP)