NASA clears Artemis 1 moon rocket for Nov. 16 launch despite storm damage - Space.com

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NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft atop rests connected motorboat pad 39B arsenic last preparations are made for the Artemis I ngo astatine NASA's Kennedy Space Center connected November 14, 2022 successful Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Image credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's Artemis 1 satellite ngo volition erstwhile again effort to motorboat aft all.

Mission managers met connected Monday (Nov. 14) to sermon the formation readiness of the Artemis 1's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft pursuing flimsy harm caused by Hurricane Nicole, which was swiftly downgraded to a tropical tempest aft making landfall, connected Thursday (Nov. 10). Despite the information that a set of insulating caulking connected Orion was damaged by precocious winds during the storm's landfall, Mike Sarafin, Artemis ngo manager astatine NASA office successful Washington, said "there's nary alteration successful our program to effort to motorboat connected the 16th" during a media teleconference contiguous (Nov. 14).

"The unanimous proposal for the squad was that we were successful a bully presumption to spell up and proceed with the motorboat countdown," added Jeremy Parsons, lawman manager of NASA's Exploration Ground Systems programme astatine Kennedy Space Center (KSC) successful Florida. If each goes according to program during further preflight checks and the cryogenic fueling process connected Tuesday (Nov. 15), the Artemis 1 mission volition motorboat from Launch Pad 39B astatine 1:04 a.m. EST (0604 GMT) connected Nov. 16. You tin ticker the countdown, fueling and launch of Artemis 1 unrecorded online here connected Space.com courtesy of NASA.

One of the main areas of concerns was a portion of insulating caulking known arsenic RTV which is designed to creaseless retired a flimsy spread successful the exterior of the Orion spacecraft. High winds during Hurricane Nicole stripped a 10-foot (3-meter) conception of RTV disconnected of Orion. After discovering the damage, determination were concerns that the missing caulking could make unwanted airflow that could pb to excess heating during motorboat and flight. After reviewing the contented and performing aggregate analyses, Artemis 1 ngo managers consciousness that the conveyance is inactive flightworthy.

"We looked crossed the full conveyance stack from the Orion spacecraft each the mode down to the basal of the stack and we agreed that the hazard is bounded by existent hazards and hazard reports that we person retired there," Sarafin told reporters.

"That said, if we person an contented that occurs that would origin america to conscionable 1 of our no-go criteria, it whitethorn not beryllium our day," Sarafin added.

A NASA representation showing a damaged conception of RTV insulating caulk connected the extracurricular of the Artemis 1 mission's Orion spacecraft.

Still, Parsons added that contempt determination inactive being a accidental of ngo managers discovering issues that would forestall a motorboat effort connected Wednesday (Nov. 16), determination is simply a large woody to beryllium arrogant of successful presumption of however the Artemis 1 teams person persevered frankincense acold done the mission's galore setbacks.

"And I volition archer you, the squad is firing connected each cylinders astatine this point, and truthful I conscionable can't beryllium much arrogant of them. Because I deliberation if you were to inquire maine a mates of weeks ago, would we spell done a tempest similar Hurricane Nicole and past beryllium capable to crook astir and person cleared the conveyance and beryllium successful bully shape, I would person said hey, chances are astir apt low. But this squad has truly conscionable been firing connected each cylinders," Parsons said.

Artemis 1 volition spot an uncrewed Orion spacecraft motorboat atop the SLS conveyance into lunar orbit. The ngo is intended to laic the groundwork for aboriginal Artemis missions that volition spot humankind instrumentality to the satellite with the eventual extremity of establishing a sustainable quality beingness there.

Artemis 2 volition spot a quality unit placed into orbit astir the satellite nary earlier than 2023, portion Artemis 3, scheduled for 2024 oregon 2025, volition spot astronauts permission bootprints connected the lunar aboveground erstwhile again.

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Brett is simply a subject and exertion writer who is funny astir emerging concepts successful spaceflight and aerospace, alternate motorboat concepts, anti-satellite technologies, and uncrewed systems. Brett's enactment has appeared connected The War Zone astatine TheDrive.com, Popular Science, the History Channel, Science Discovery, and more. Brett has English degrees from Clemson University and the University of North Carolina astatine Charlotte. In his escaped time, Brett is simply a moving musician, a hobbyist electronics technologist and cosplayer, an avid LEGO fan, and enjoys hiking and camping passim the Appalachian Mountains with his woman and 2 children.

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