INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NASA is making another run at launching the Artemis I spacecraft on its maiden voyage to the moon, rolling the $4.1 billion rocket back onto
the launch pad late Thursday night at Kennedy Space Center.This comes after months of delays pushed the liftoff to November 14.The launch is
scheduled a week from Monday at 12:07 a.m., but NASA was keeping an eye on a low-pressure system in the Caribbean that threatened to bring
heavy rain and strong winds to the area in the coming days, UPI reported.The agency still has about 10 days for a contingency plan if
conditions worsen, although the rocket is built to withstand moderately strong weather.Mission controllers considered the storm to be a very
low threat and expressed confidence in their decision to move forward.I think everyone feels really good about the launch,& said Jim Free,
associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington.If we weren''t
confident, we wouldn''t roll out
If we weren''t confident, we wouldn''t start the countdown when we do so
We&re confident moving forward.The unmanned Artemis I mission has been dogged by several malfunctions, including fuel leaks and
engine-related problems before NASA put the ship back into storage in late September just days before Hurricane Ian came ashore.The first
29 was canceled due to a fuel leak and a bad sensor on one of the main engines
The next launch attempt on Sept
3 was scrubbed due to a fuel leak that NASA has since repaired.The agency next eyed a launch window between Sept
4, but the approaching storm put a stop to those plans.The Artemis I mission sets the stage for astronauts to return to the lunar surface
for the first time since 1972, which will happen sometime in 2025 or 2026 as part of the Artemis 3 mission.For now, Artemis I will fly more
than a half-million miles to the moon and back over 42 days while testing the limits of the Orion crew module and its Space Launch System
rockets.Next year, astronauts will be aboard the Artemis 2 capsule, which will circle the Earth and moon in the mission&s first manned test
flight.The post NASA rolls Artemis I mission rocket back to launch pad first appeared on Ariana News.
