NASA: Back to the Moon with mega rocket launch
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The Artemis 1 mission, a test flight without people, is the first stage in America's goal to establish a permanent presence on the Moon.
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Nasa’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket (AP)
NASA was preparing to launch its new mega Moon rocket from Florida early Wednesday, but technical difficulties threatened to derail the mission for the third time.
Engineers were obliged to momentarily halt the flow of liquid hydrogen into the core stage Tuesday night due to a valve leak, but an hour later, a team dispatched to the launch pad fixed the issue.
The space agency later revealed that a radar monitoring the rocket's flight path was having issues due to a malfunctioning ethernet switch.
A two-hour launch window will open at 1:04 a.m. local time (0604 GMT), with 90 percent favorable weather expected.
The Artemis 1 mission, a test flight without people, is the first stage in America's goal to establish a permanent presence on the Moon and learn from it in preparation for a future expedition to Mars in the 2030s.
It will be the first launch of the Space Launch System rocket, which stands 32 stories tall and is the most powerful ever created.
The countdown to the launch of the orange and white behemoth continues at the historic Kennedy Space Center.
The launch is scheduled less than a week after Hurricane Nicole, which the rocket survived on its launch pad. Two backup dates are possible, if needed, on November 19 and 25.
It is worth noting that approximately 100,000 people were anticipated to gather on the coast to see the launch, with the rocket promising to illuminate the night sky.
