Due to a number of technical problems all day, the new Artemis I moon rocket of the American space organisation NASA is not being launched on Monday after all, the US space agency announced.
All kinds of technical problems had been occurring all day, but a problem with one of the rocket engines that could not be brought to the right cold temperature was the deciding factor. The next possible launch date is Friday 2 September, but it is not yet certain whether NASA will be able to solve the problems by then.
The launch was initially scheduled for the afternoon, between 14:30 and 16:30 Belgian time, from the Kennedy Space Center launch site in Florida.
The launch was already delayed by one hour early this morning due to the bad weather conditions at the site. The, during the refuelling of the rocket, a small leak was found. That problem could be solved quickly and the rocket was almost completely refuelled.
Then, around noon, a new, bigger problem was found with one of the rocket motors: the motor did not reach the desired low temperature, essential for launching. The countdown clock was stopped and the search for a solution continued for more than two hours, but around 14:40, NASA decided to cancel the launch completely today.
"This is part of it. We do not launch until everything is right," reacted NASA Director Bill Nelson. "This proves how complex the whole system is." Some 200,000 visitors who had travelled to Cape Canaveral in Florida, however, had to go home disappointed.
