NASA is abandoning the attempt to launch its new lunar rocket next week due to a tropical storm expected to become a major hurricane.
It’s the third delay last month for the lunar test flight featuring models but no astronauts, and it’s a follow-up to NASA’s Apollo moon landing program half a century ago. Hydrogen fuel leaks and other technical issues caused previous scrubs.
Tropical Storm Ian, currently circulating in the Caribbean, is expected to turn into a hurricane by Monday and hit the Florida Gulf Coast by Thursday. However, the entire state in the cone shows the likely path of the storm’s center – including NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Given the expected uncertainty, NASA decided on Saturday to abandon the planned launch attempt on Tuesday, and instead prepare the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket for a possible return to the hangar. On Sunday, managers will decide whether to take it off the launch pad.
If the rocket remains on the platform, NASA may attempt to launch it on October 2, the last chance before a two-week blackout period. But a pullback late Sunday or early Monday would likely mean a long delay for the test flight, possibly pushing it into November.
The Space Launch System rocket is the most powerful rocket NASA has ever built. Assuming its first test flight goes well, astronauts will board it for the next mission in 2024, resulting in a two-person moon landing in 2025.
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