NASA to attempt Artemis 1 launch on September 27

Already delayed by several years, NASA's Artemis mission is proving a tough challenge for the premier space agency. After two postponements, NASA is reportedly targeting September 27 as the next possible launch date for the unmanned mission.

Reportedly, NASA informed about the date in a blog post on Monday by stating that a "70-minute launch window opens at 11:37 AM EDT on September 27" while the mission may end with an ocean splashdown of the Orion capsule on November 5.

Furthermore, the space agency stated that apart from September 27, it has zeroed in on October 2 as the next date for the launch.

However, the September 27 launch can only take place if NASA's engineering team can successfully carry out a test to fuel the Space Launch System (SLS). Additionally, it will require a waiver to avoid retesting batteries of the emergency flight system that detonates the rocket if it strays away from the designated path.

The agency also gave an update about the repair work it had been undertaking after the failed launch due to leaks earlier this month.

"Over the weekend, Artemis I teams completed repair work to the area of a hydrogen leak, reconnecting the ground- and rocket-side plates on the quick disconnect for the liquid hydrogen fuel feed line where two seals were replaced last week." read the blog post.

As reported by WION extensively, the Artemis programme is NASA's successor to the Apollo lunar missions from fifty years ago.

The only spaceflights to date to land humans on the moon's surface involved six Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972, during which twelve men made moonwalks.

The SLS is the largest new vertical launch system NASA has created since the Saturn V rockets used in the 1960s and 1970s.

However, the SLS-Orion spacecraft has so far cost NASA at least $37 billion, which includes design, construction, testing, and ground facilities. Its development has taken more than ten years and has been plagued by years of delays and billion-dollar cost overruns.

The first woman to walk on the moon might return to Earth as early as 2025 if the first two Artemis missions are successful, according to many analysts. However, in light of recent events, that target date is likely to be pushed back by a few years.

(With inputs from agencies)

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