“Nothing prevents” a launch next week of NASA’s new megarocket for the Moon, Jim Free, NASA associate administrator, said at a press conference, specifying that the space agency teams had been able to access the platform again. release on Thursday. .
Uncertainty remained about the status of the rocket after Hurricane Nicole hit Florida. But inspections on Thursday revealed only minor damage.
The SLS rocket, the most powerful ever designed by NASA, is scheduled to launch on Wednesday at 1:04 a.m. local time, with a possible launch window of two hours.
Operations yet to be planned
The Artemis 1 test mission is to propel the Orion capsule, without an astronaut on board, to the Moon, without landing there. If liftoff occurs on Wednesday, the mission would last 25 and a half days, and the capsule would return to the Pacific Ocean on December 11.
The US space agency, however, has many preparatory operations for Wednesday, in particular the ignition of the vehicle and a series of technical tests. An element in the base of the rocket may need to be replaced, possibly damaged.
Two alternative dates are planned if necessary, November 19 and 25, Jim Free announced. “Right now we’re focused on November 16, and if we get stuck because of something we found during power-up or testing, then we’ll have to think about November 19,” he said.
Source: BFM TV
