NASA postponed the first launch of the SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft from February to March
The first launch of the superheavy Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft, which is supposed to fly around the Moon and then return to Earth, is postponed from February 15 to mid-March. Writes about this Ars Technica, referring to NASA.
According to employees of the American Space Agency and representatives of its contractors, no one wants to carry out work on preparation for the planned mission in a hurry.
The publication admits that in reality the launch of the SLS may take place at the end of March or April.
In October, Spaceflight Now wrote that the launch of the SLS with Orion could take place on February 12-27, March 12-27, or April 8-23.
As part of the Artemis 1 unmanned mission, the spacecraft must fly around the Earth's natural satellite. Depending on the relative position of the Moon and the Earth at the time of the rocket launch, the duration of the mission will be from three to six weeks. Thus, NASA plans to test the readiness of the SLS and Orion for the Artemis 2 mission, which involves a flyby of the Moon by a spacecraft with four astronauts.
