NASA moves Artemis 2 rocket launch to the Moon to March

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Tuesday that it is currently targeting a March launch window for the Artemis 2 mission. This is the first manned flight in the Artemis program, which aims to send a four-member crew on a flight around the Moon.

The launch was delayed this week after a liquid hydrogen leak occurred during a rehearsal.

NASA noted that it will release the astronauts, who have been in quarantine since January 21 ahead of the planned launch. The agency also plans to conduct another rehearsal before definitively confirming the new flight date.

NASA chief Jared Isaacman emphasized that the purpose of these tests is to identify potential problems before the launch itself and increase the chances of a successful mission.

Artemis 2 follows on from the unmanned flight in 2022 and will be the first mission to send astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon to the furthest reaches of space ever reached by humans.

The crew consists of three American astronauts and one Canadian. The flight is intended to serve as a preparatory step for the first landing of NASA astronauts on the Moon since 1972.

(reuters, max)