(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- The historic first launch of NASA’s new giant moon rocket has been repeatedly postponed due to several difficulties.
This Wednesday, the $4 billion Space Launch System (SLS) may launch into orbit after battling fears about fuel leaks and engine problems and escape the clutches of not one but two storms.
The highly anticipated Artemis missions would launch with an unmanned Orion spacecraft beginning a 25-day voyage around Earth’s only natural satellite, ushering in a new era of moon research.
The goal is to send Artemis III back to the moon by 2025 to establish a permanent lunar station for further cosmological exploration. People would witness the first woman and person of color set foot on the moon for the first time.
On November 16, at 01:04 ET, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida will open a two-hour launch window for the launch of Artemis I.
After the SLS was blasted by wind gusts of up to 100 mph while exposed to Hurricane Nicole’s might last week, there had been worries that this date could be pushed out once more while post-storm inspections were completed.
The storm, according to NASA, tore the engine rain covers and let water into the crew access arm, although these were just “minimal” issues.
The 322ft rocket was damaged because officials decided not to wheel it back to the Vehicle Assembly Building and instead left it on the launch pad.
Storm Ian, a gasoline leak problem, and engine temperature worry prevented earlier launches.
To make matters worse, two solid rocket boosters, a vital component of the rocket, are due to expire in the middle of December, putting NASA in a time crunch.
As a result, the space agency will have to decide if it can continue to be used after that point or if replacement parts are needed.
The Artemis I mission will see an unmanned Orion spacecraft circle the moon and return to Earth after a 25-day, 1.3 million-mile journey. The rocket is slightly smaller than the Apollo Saturn V that launched people to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s. It has four RS-25 engines, the same as the Space Shuttle, but with more thrust and a faster top speed of up to 24,500 mph.
