Following the aborted launch on Monday, NASA is prepared to try again. Artemis I will now launch from Earth in a fresh window that will become available on September 3 at 2:17 PM EDT. For two hours, the window will be open. If all goes well, this will be the maiden launch of NASA’s Orion spacecraft and the most potent rocket in the world, the brand-new Space Launch System (SLS).
The attempt on Monday had to be aborted because engine 3 on the core stage couldn’t reach the necessary temperature of -250 °C (about -420 °F). Forty minutes prior to launch, the countdown was halted while engineers worked to fix the issue. Earlier, there was a problem with the fueling as well, but the team had a solution. Given the difficulty of fixing the engine cooling and the impending storm, NASA chose to postpone.
The decision was undoubtedly disheartening, but online, memes were created to express that dissatisfaction. The team is striving to prevent a recurrence of the problems. On Saturday, nice weather is anticipated; there may be a few showers, but nothing major.
The unmanned Orion spacecraft will be launched by SLS and travel to the Moon for a flyby before returning to Earth following a 42-day mission that includes six days in lunar orbit. As this new technology will eventually send people to the Moon, it must show that it is impenetrable. This means that in order for Orion to reenter via Earth’s atmosphere, its heat shield will have to be raised.
