US 'Moon Lander' Mission After 50 Years... Launch Retry Scheduled for Next Month 3rd

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwak Min-jae] The launch of NASA's Artemis 1 mission, prepared to resume lunar exploration after 50 years, has been rescheduled for the 3rd of this month.

According to major foreign media, NASA announced the schedule for the second launch attempt during a press briefing on the 30th (local time). The Space Launch System (SLS) was originally scheduled to launch on the 29th but was postponed due to concerns about engine defects. NASA delayed the launch by one day from the original plan of the 2nd due to bad weather. Artemis 1 mission manager Mike Sarafin explained that if the launch is delayed again on the 3rd due to weather, they could attempt to launch again on the 5th.

NASA is placing more weight on the possibility that the SLS engine cooling issue that occurred during the first attempt was caused not by an engine defect but by a problem with the temperature sensor. However, replacing the sensor would require moving the rocket from the launch pad to the hangar, which could delay the launch by weeks or even months, so they decided not to replace the sensor. Instead, NASA chose a workaround by starting the cooling procedure 30 minutes earlier during the second launch attempt.

Meanwhile, NASA plans to proceed with the second and third phases of exploration if this test is successful, including a manned flight in 2024 and the first lunar landing by a female and a person of color astronaut in 2025.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.