Artemis II Release Update: just about an hour ago Artemis 2 launchNASA issued a statement regarding communications issues with the flight termination system. Meanwhile, NASA commentator Dror Nel, who was also in the control room, added that engineers were working to resolve issues with the Space Launch System rocket’s flight termination system. If they can’t fix the problem, a launch abort system will lift the Orion capsule and astronauts to safety. A flight termination system will then destroy the rocket.
“The situation here is very unique,” Nel explains.
“This range is off-limits at the moment, but that doesn’t stop us from moving forward in the countdown,” he added.
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that despite the problems, the NASA team is continuing to complete the final steps. The publication added that the Orion spacecraft’s hatch has been closed.
It seems that the countdown is about to start on time.
NASA’s launch team loaded more than 700,000 gallons of fuel into the 32-story-tall Space Launch System rocket early Wednesday in preparation for the evening’s launch, with a two-hour launch window beginning at 6:24 p.m. ET at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Artemis astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will be aboard the spacecraft. They would fly thousands of miles beyond the moon, turn around and come right back. No orbiting the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk, just a quick round trip lasting less than 10 days. NASA promises to leave more boot prints in the gray lunar dust, but only after a few practice missions.
Read more: Artemis 2 Cost Explained: How much did NASA spend on its latest moon mission? Who pays for this?
The last time astronauts flew to the moon was during the Apollo 17 landing in 1972.
Artemis 2 is the opening shot of NASA’s grand plan for a permanent moon base. The space program aims to land on the moon near the south pole in 2028.
“The next era of exploration begins,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on the X (formerly Twitter) platform.
(With inputs from The Associated Press)
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