NASA Delays Artemis Mission to Moon Due to Extreme Cold
In a move that has left space enthusiasts eagerly awaiting further updates, NASA has announced a delay in its highly anticipated Artemis mission to the moon. The decision comes as a result of extreme cold temperatures at the launch site, forcing the space agency to push back the launch date by at least two days.Artemis Mission Delayed Due to Extreme Cold
The Artemis mission, which aims to send the first woman and the next man to the lunar surface by 2025, has been delayed due to extreme cold temperatures at the launch site. The space agency had planned to conduct a dress rehearsal fueling test for its Artemis II moon rocket on Saturday, but this has now been rescheduled for Monday. As a result, the long-awaited launch of the mission has been pushed back by at least two days to no earlier than 11:20 p.m. EST on February 8.
Crew 12 Mission Impacted by Artemis Delay
The delay in the Artemis mission will also impact the launch of Crew 12, which is set to blast off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as early as February 11. However, if the Artemis II mission gets off on February 8 as planned, the Crew 12 crew will stand down until after the Artemis II crew returns to Earth. In this scenario, the launch of Crew 12 would be pushed back to around February 19.
NASA Prepares for Fresh Crew Launch
Meanwhile, NASA is gearing up to launch a fresh crew to the International Space Station to replace the four Crew 11 fliers who cut their mission short and returned to Earth on January 15 due to a medical issue with an unidentified crew member. The new crew, which includes commander Jessica Meir, pilot Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and cosmonaut Andrey Fedaev, will be ready to blast off as early as February 11.
The delay in the Artemis mission is a significant setback for NASA's ambitious plans to return humans to the lunar surface. However, with the space agency's reputation for adaptability and resilience, it remains to be seen how this development will impact the overall timeline of the mission.
