NASA will batten down its big new moon rocket on the launch pad to ride out a hurricane expected to hit near Cape Canaveral, Florida, and its targeted liftoff time next week has been postponed by two days, the U.S. space agency said on Monday.
Kennedy Space Center lies near the middle of a 240-mile stretch of Florida's Atlantic shore, where forecasters say Tropical Storm Nicole is most likely to strike Wednesday night or early Thursday as a category 1 hurricane.
As of Tuesday night, Nicole was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (100 kph) and gaining force as it headed for the northern Bahamas en route to Florida, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported.
A category 1 hurricane has top sustained winds of 74-95 mph (119-153 kph).
NASA's next-generation rocket, standing 32 stories tall, was rolled out to its launch pad last week for what would be a third attempt to get it off the ground for its inaugural, uncrewed flight to the moon and back.
The flight, marking the first mission of NASA's ambitious new Artemis lunar exploration program, had been set for liftoff next Monday.
Nicole's approach prompted NASA to delay that launch window by at least two days, to Wednesday, Nov. 16, giving workers extra time to tend to families and homes before the storm and to ready the rocket for flight afterward.
NASA said it would keep the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule moored to the launch pad through the storm rather than try to roll the spacecraft back to its hangar - a nearly 12-hour undertaking that entails additional risks.
If the giant tractor crawler used to transport the rocket to and from its hangar were to break down, the spacecraft could be left more vulnerable, said Mark Burger, a launch weather officer for the Cape's U.S. Space Force Station.
"It could be many hours of sitting out on the crawlerway exposed to the forces from the wind, and that would be the absolutely worst scenario," Burger told Reuters.
The rocket was built to withstand exposure to heavy rains and winds as high as 85 mph, at the upper limit forecast at the Cape, NASA said.
In preparation for the storm, teams powered down the spacecraft's systems and took measures to secure the rocket and other equipment at the site. A "ride-out" team was assigned to stay at the complex and monitor conditions during the storm.
Two previous Artemis I launch attempts on Aug. 29 and Sept. 3 were aborted because of technical problems, and the rocket was moved back to its hangar because of Hurricane Ian.
If Artemis I gets off the ground on Nov. 16, during a two-hour launch window that opens at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT), the Orion capsule would return to Earth for splashdown on Dec. 11, NASA said. A backup launch date was set for Nov. 19.
Reuters
Fri Nov 11 2022
NASA Moon Rocket sits on Launch Pad 39-B after being scrubbed at the Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. - AP/Filepic
SPRM lancar bilik gerakan 24 jam
SPRM melancarkan bilik gerakan bagi membolehkan orang ramai menyalurkan maklumat serta aduan berkaitan perbuatan rasuah dan salah guna kuasa pada PRK DUN Kuala Kubu Baharu.
Tiada tepung mengandungi benzoil peroksida melebihi kadar
Tiada mana-mana jenama tepung di pasaran tempatan mengandungi Benzoil Peroksida melebihi paras yang dibenarkan.
Perintah notis berkaitan anak kepada individu disyaki
Dua anak bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menolak dakwaan mereka dalam siasatan SPRM.
Empat maut kenderaan bertembung
Empat individu maut dalam satu kemalangan melibatkan dua kenderaan pacuan empat roda di Kilometer 78, Jalan Kota Bharu- Gua Musang di Kuala Krai.
RM40 juta diluluskan di peringkat jawatankuasa MITRA, belum dibelanja - Prabakaran
Sebanyak RM40 juta daripada RM100 juta yang disalurkan kerajaan tahun ini kepada MITRA telah diluluskan di peringkat jawatankuasa.
Pengguna Facebook, Instagram luang 60% masa menonton video
Menurut Meta, kini pengguna meluangkan 60% daripada masa penggunaan di platform berkenaan dengan menonton video.
Rumah kebajikan warga emas dipukul tidak berdaftar - Nancy
Rumah kebajikan dihuni warga emas yang dipukul dengan kayu di Taman Desa Aman, Padang Serai, Kedah didapati tidak berdaftar dengan JKM.
Pasangan beregu badminton Soon Huat-Shevon kongsi gambar praperkahwinan
Pasangan beregu campuran negara, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai, hari ini berkongsi gambar praperkahwinan mereka, yang dijangka akan dilangsungkan tidak lama lagi.
Kementerian Perpaduan lancar Inisiatif Harmoni Madani
Kementerian Perpaduan Negara hari ini melancarkan Inisiatif Harmoni Madani.
Kes 1MDB: Najib percaya Blackstone dikawal Arab Saudi, Raja Abdullah - Saksi
Saksi memberitahu Najib percaya bahawa syarikat Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners dikawal oleh kerajaan Arab Saudi dan Raja Arab Saudi.