The US space agency Nasa wants to make a new attempt to launch its new moon rocket on Saturday. This was announced by NASA representative Mike Sarafin, who is responsible for the Artemis 1 unmanned mission, at a press conference on Tuesday. A two-hour window will open from 2:17 p.m. local time (8:17 p.m. CEST).
NASA had to call off the first test flight, which was actually planned for Monday, shortly before take-off from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida due to technical problems: one of the four main engines of the SLS rocket could not be cooled down to the required temperature. As the next possible start dates, Nasa initially named next Friday and Monday next week.
Sarafin has now said that the start should take place on Saturday. One meteorologist was “optimistic” about the weather, although there is an “increased” risk of adverse weather conditions.
NASA has set itself an ambitious goal: 50 years after the last moon landing, it wants to send a rocket to the moon again. The task of the 42-day Artemis 1 mission is to test the most powerful launch vehicle to date and the Orion capsule at the top under real conditions.
