NASA’s Artemis 1 moon rocket left its launch pad for security’s sake final evening (Sept. 26), solely to come across a little bit of drama shortly after arriving at its designated shelter website.
Mission group members rolled the Artemis 1 stack from Kennedy Area Heart’s (KSC) Launch Pad 39B to the ability’s enormous Car Meeting Constructing (VAB) to guard the dear {hardware} from Hurricane Ian, ought to the storm find yourself hammering Florida’s Area Coast.
Artemis 1 accomplished the almost 10-hour journey to the VAB at about 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 GMT) immediately (Sept. 27). However simply 2.5 hours later, a small hearth broke out contained in the constructing. “Workers have been evacuated, and there aren’t any reported accidents. The VAB is hearth secure, and the Artemis 1 automobile was not in danger,” KSC officers said via Twitter today (opens in new tab).
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KSC Director Janet Petro supplied just a few extra particulars throughout a beforehand deliberate information convention this afternoon.
“I am advised it was a 40-volt electrical panel on the wall of the Excessive Bay 3 that caught hearth,” she mentioned. The trigger is unclear and underneath investigation, she added, stressing that the flames by no means obtained near Artemis 1.
Artemis 1 will use a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to launch an uncrewed Orion capsule to the moon. NASA had hoped to launch the mission immediately, however the specter of Hurricane Ian spoiled that plan.
The mission group will carry out some work on the Artemis 1 stack whereas it is using out the storm within the VAB. It is too quickly to take a position a few new goal launch date, though a liftoff earlier than November seems to be unlikely at this level.
“I will not write it off, however it will be troublesome,” Jim Free, affiliate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Programs Improvement Mission Directorate, mentioned throughout immediately’s briefing, referring to an October launch.
Artemis 1 would be the first launch of the SLS and the primary mission of NASA’s Artemis program. If all goes properly, Artemis 2 will ship astronauts across the moon in 2024 and Artemis 3 will put boots on the bottom close to the lunar south pole a yr or so later.
Mike Wall is the writer of “Out There (opens in new tab)” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a e-book concerning the seek for alien life. Comply with him on Twitter @michaeldwall (opens in new tab). Comply with us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or on Facebook (opens in new tab).
