NASA Postponed Launch of Artemis I until November

NASA has delayed the launch of the Artemis I lunar mission from 12 to 27 November because of Hurricane Ian.

NASA had originally planned to launch the rocket either on September 27 or in October, but that possibility was cancelled after NASA decided to move the rocket back to the vehicle assembly building (VAB) to protect it from the hurricane that formed in the Caribbean Sea.

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida but had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached the Kennedy Space Center. NASA found partial water intrusion into the rocket and spacecraft structures during a hangar inspection, but "there was no damage to Artemis flight hardware."

NASA's Artemis I lunar mission will send the crewless Orion capsule on a journey around the Moon, paving the way for future missions. However, the rocket launch has been postponed for the third time. The first launch attempt was aborted due to engine problems and the second was marred by a fuel leak.