The superheavy SLS rocket with the Orion spacecraft will fly to the Moon in May
The first launch from the site of the John F. Kennedy Space Center of a superheavy Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with an Orion spacecraft, which is supposed to fly around the Moon and then return to Earth, is postponed from March to May, writes Space.com, referring to NASA.
It is expected that a bundle of SLS and Orion will be installed on the launch pad in March. The central block of the rocket is planned to be fully fueled, after which all the main pre-launch procedures will be carried out. Thus, NASA will conduct the final test of SLS and Orion before launch.
The nearest launch window for the rocket with the ship is scheduled for May 7-21. If it is impossible to launch in May, SLS and Orion can fly on June 6-16 or in the period from June 29 to July 12.
In February, Ars Technica, referring to NASA, reported that the first launch of the SLS with Orion is postponed from February 15 to mid-March.
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.
