'Artemis I Rocket, the First Moon Mission in 50 Years, to Retry Launch on the 3rd'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The United States will attempt to launch the Artemis I rocket again on the 3rd (local time) as part of its manned lunar exploration plan for the first time in 50 years.

According to NASA on the 2nd, the launch window for the Artemis I mission rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), is set for two hours starting at 2:17 PM Eastern Time on the 3rd (3:17 AM Korean time on the 4th).

Artemis is a manned lunar exploration program resuming for the first time in 50 years since Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA originally planned to launch the SLS into space on the 29th of last month but postponed the first launch due to rocket engine defects, hydrogen fuel leaks, and weather conditions near the launch site.

On that day, NASA explained in a briefing that preparations for the second launch are "on track," with all issues, including the hydrogen fuel leak problem, resolved as planned.

This mission, the first phase of the Artemis program, involves the large rocket SLS, which has the most powerful propulsion among NASA-made launch vehicles, carrying the capsule "Orion" with a mannequin instead of a human. It will make a 42-day round trip to the moon and return to Earth on October 11. The main purpose of this test flight is to verify that the spacecraft and equipment are properly built so astronauts can safely travel to the moon and back.

NASA plans to continue the program with phases 2 and 3, including manned flights in 2024 and the first landing of a female and person of color astronauts on the moon in 2025, if the first phase mission succeeds.

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