NASA Sets New Artemis I Launch Date, Says Hurricane Ian Didn’t Harm Hardware – CNET

NASA’s Artemis I moon launch, stalled by Hurricane Ian, has a new target for takeoff. Its launch window now opens on Nov. 12 and closes on Nov. 27, NASA announced Friday. 

The news comes after the pending storm caused NASA to temporarily call off the Iaunch. As Hurricane Ian threatened to travel north across Cuba and into Florida, bringing extreme winds and rain to the launch pad’s vicinity, NASA scrubbed the Oct. 2 backup launch date and on Monday rolled its mammoth Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. 

Initial inspections Friday to assess potential impacts of the hurricane showed no damage to Artemis I flight hardware, NASA said. “Facilities are in good shape with only minor water intrusion identified in a few locations,” the space agency said in a statement. 

Next up, teams will complete post-storm recovery operations, which will include further inspections and retesting the flight termination system. The new November date, NASA said, will also give Kennedy employees time to to address what their families and homes need post-storm. 

The hurricane made landfall in Florida on Wednesday, bringing with it catastrophic storm surge, winds, flooding and widespread power outages and ripping homes from their foundations.

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