Artemis I: NASA Looking At Sept 23, 27 As Possible Dates For Launch Of Moon Mission

NASA is looking at September 23 and 27 as possible dates for the launch of the Artemis I moon mission after calling it off twice earlier, according to an official quoted by the news agency AFP.

The first launch attempt of Artemis I, on August 29, was scrubbed due to technical issues with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

NASA called off the second launch attempt of Artemis I on September 3 due to an issue related to a leak in the hardware transferring fuel into the SLS rocket.

Artemis I was slated to launch no earlier than 11:47 pm IST on September 3. A few hours before the launch, ground control teams observed that a leak developed in the supply side of the eight-inch quick disconnect while attempting to transfer fuel to the SLS rocket.

The quick disconnect connects the ground system to the rocket. It is also the region where liquid hydrogen is fed into the rocket. NASA teams attempted to fix the fuel leak, but were unsuccessful.