NASA has confirmed the attempt to launch the
Artemis 1
mission to the Moon for
November 16
, after inspections by technicians revealed only minor damage to the rocket and spacecraft following the passage of Hurricane Nicole in Florida.
If the launch is as planned, the mission will last 25 and a half days before the unmanned capsule returns to Earth on December 11 with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
In the coming days, the technicians will continue with tests to verify the structural integrity of the rocket and with minor maintenance interventions.
The rigid protection installed on the
Launch abort system window before the storm has already been removed and will now be inspected to confirm that it is in good condition for launch, but "nothing prevents" a takeoff on that date,
Jim
assured at a press conference.
Free
, associate administrator of the American space agency.
The departure of the SLS rocket, the most powerful ever made by NASA, is scheduled for Wednesday at 1:04 local time (7:04 in Italy) with a two-hour launch window.
The highly anticipated launch has already been delayed three times in as many months.
Artemis 1 will mark the start of the Artemis program, which aims to bring the first woman and first black person to the moon by 2025. NASA intends to establish a lasting human presence on the moon, including building an orbital space station.