Launch of Artemis-2 mission postponed
NASA chief Jared Isaacman has clarified that the proposed launch of the Artemis-2 mission will no longer take place in March.
This mission is an important attempt at a manned orbit around the Moon after 50 years. According to recent information, a technical problem related to helium flow in the Space Launch System rocket has emerged, due to which the March launch window has been cancelled.
Isaacman said that people’s disappointment is natural, but the NASA team is most disappointed, which was preparing for this mission for a long time. He also reminded that even when NASA faced many obstacles in the 1960s, they had achieved the impossible.
The giant Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will now be returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the problem will be thoroughly examined and necessary repairs will be made. A detailed briefing is expected in the coming days.
The Artemis-2 mission is scheduled to last approximately 10 days, carrying three American and one Canadian astronauts to orbit the Moon. This mission is considered an important step towards sending humans back to the lunar surface, which was announced during the tenure of former President Donald Trump.
NASA had previously listed March 6 as a possible launch date, but the program has been postponed several times before. The unmanned test flight of Artemis-1 was successfully completed in November 2022 after several postponements.
Recently, technical problems such as a liquid hydrogen leak affected the rehearsal process in early February. However, the rehearsals conducted this week under conditions similar to the actual launch have been successfully completed.
On the other hand, China is also preparing for a manned lunar mission by 2030. Its Chang’e 7 unmanned mission is proposed to explore the Moon’s south pole in 2026.
Experts believe that lunar missions will accelerate preparations for future human missions to Mars. For now, NASA is focusing on resolving technical issues to ensure a safe and successful launch.
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