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NASA’s Artemis I moon rocket is ready for another launch attempt

NASA prepares for another attempt to launch the Artemis I mission.

After several repairs amid reports of fuel leaks, NASA’s Artemis I mega moon rocket returned to the launch pad on Friday (local time) ahead of its third launch attempt, officials said.

The space agency is gearing up for another attempt to launch the Artemis I mission. The uncrewed test mission is scheduled for Nov. 14, with a 69-minute launch window opening at 12:07 p.m. am ET. The launch will be streamed live on NASA’s website, CNN reported.

Fuel leaks have kept the rocket grounded since August. The rocket had been shelved for weeks after problems with fuel leaks thwarted the first two launch attempts and then Hurricane Ian swept through Florida, forcing the rocket to leave the launch pad and head to safety .

The Space Launch System rocket began the hours-long 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) journey from its inner shelter to Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Thursday evening. It reached its destination almost 9 hours later, CNN reported.

The Artemis team is again monitoring a storm that could be heading toward Florida, but officials were confident of moving forward with the deployment, according to Jim Free, associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate from NASA.

The unnamed storm could develop near Puerto Rico over the weekend and slowly move northwest early next week, said meteorologist Mark Burger, the force’s release weather officer. US Air to Cape Canaveral.

It’s NASA’s biggest step toward getting astronauts back to the moon by 2025. The space agency is approaching the 50th anniversary of its last human landing on the moon: Apollo 17 in December 1972.

The Artemis I mission is expected to pave the way for other missions to the Moon. After liftoff, the Orion capsule, which is designed to carry astronauts and sits atop the rocket during liftoff, will separate as it reaches space.

It will fly empty for this mission, apart from a couple of dummies. The Orion capsule will spend a few days maneuvering toward the moon before entering its orbit and beginning the trek back home days later, CNN reported.

Overall, the mission is expected to last 25 days, with the Orion capsule dumping into the Pacific Ocean off San Diego scheduled for Dec. 9.

The purpose of the trip is to collect data and test hardware, navigation and other systems to ensure that both the SLS rocket and the Orion capsule are ready to host astronauts. The Artemis program aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface this decade.

The Artemis II mission, scheduled for 2024, is expected to follow a similar flight path around the Moon and will have a crew on board. And in 2025, Artemis III is expected to land astronauts on the lunar surface for the first time since NASA’s Apollo program.

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