The launch of NASA’s historic Artemis I moon mission has been postponed after the team was unable to work through an issue with one of the rocket’s four engines.
The next opportunity to send the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft on their journey is September 2, but whether or not another attempt is made that day depends on how testing goes.
“Launch controllers were continuing to evaluate why a bleed test to get the RS-25 engines on the bottom of the core stage to the proper temperature range for liftoff was not successful, and ran out of time in the two-hour launch window,” according to an update from NASA. “Engineers are continuing to gather additional data.”
More information will be shared in a news conference held by NASA at 1 p.m. ET. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will be joined by Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate and Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who traveled to Kennedy Space Center in Florida with second gentleman Doug Emhoff to watch the launch, underscored the United States’ commitment to NASA’s Artemis program in comments made after the postponement.
“While we hoped to see the launch of Artemis I today, the attempt provided valuable data as we test the most powerful rocket in history,” she said via Twitter. “Our commitment to the Artemis Program remains firm, and we will return to the moon.”
The launch team still needs to troubleshoot the engine issue and will keep the rocket in its current configuration to gather data and assess what needs to be done. Both the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft remain stable, according to NASA officials.
The 322-foot-tall (98-meter-tall) stack is sitting on Launchpad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Prior to the scrub, the countdown was extended into an unplanned hold as the launch team worked on a troubleshooting plan for one of the rocket’s four engines.
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