Nasa further delays Artemis launch over storm concerns in Florida

Nasa said on Saturday that it was withdrawing Tuesday’s plans to launch Artemis, the US return to the moon after five decades, noting concerns about a tropical storm headed to Florida.

Tropical Storm Ian is expected to hit Florida, home to the Kennedy Space Center, next week, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

It’s the third delay in the past month for Artemis I.

[  Next Nasa moon rocket launch attempt weeks away after fuel leak forced controllers to cancel second attempt ]

[ US shoots for the moon in new space race, only this time the opposition is different ]

Apart from weather and technical challenges such as a fuel leak, Artemis I, the uncrewed test flight, signals a major turning point for Nasa’s post-Apollo human spaceflight programme, after decades focused on low-Earth orbit with space shuttles and the International Space Station. Artemis will be headed to the moon, as a stepping stone for a future flight to Mars.

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Named for the goddess who was Apollo’s twin sister in ancient Greek mythology, Artemis aims to return astronauts to the moon’s surface as early as 2025, though many experts believe that time frame will likely slip. — Reuters