Artemis Moon rocket launch put back to November due to Hurricane Ian

Nasa says additional time will allow staff to 'address personal needs' after devastating storm

US astronaut Stanley Glen Love speaks after the launch of the Artemis I unmanned lunar rocket was postponed, at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Nasa called off the test flight on August 29 2022 because of a temperature issue with one of the four engines. AFP

The Artemis I rocket remains sitting on the launch pad. Getty Images / AFP

The next launch opportunity is on September 3, Nasa said. Getty Images / AFP

The new Moon rocket that was due to blast off as part of the Artemis 1 mission sits on the launch pad. Nasa postponed the lift-off for technical reasons on Monday in Cape Canaveral, Florida. All photos onwards: AP

The Artemis 1 mission will orbit the Moon with the aim of putting astronauts back on the lunar surface.

Spectators at the Kennedy Space Centre hours before the scheduled Nasa Moon rocket launch.

The Orion spacecraft sits atop a Space Launch System rocket at the centre in Florida.

Nasa has postponed its Artemis 1 Moon rocket launch to November, after moving it back to the garage to shelter it from Hurricane Ian.

The 101-metre Space Launch System was moved back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Centre in the US state of Florida last week.

There was no damage to the Artemis flight hardware or facilities after the hurricane made landfall in Florida on September 28.

Nasa said the next launch window opens in November.

“As teams complete post-storm recovery operations, Nasa has determined it will focus Artemis 1 launch planning efforts on the launch period that opens November 12 and closes November 27,” the space agency said.

“Focusing efforts on the November launch period allows time for employees at Kennedy to address the needs of their families and homes after the storm and for teams to identify additional checkouts needed before returning to the pad for launch.”

Hurricane Ian was one of the strongest storms ever to strike the US, killing at least 100 and destroying many homes, businesses and infrastructure across Florida. The hurricane made its second landfall in South Carolina on September 30, and from there on to North Carolina.

Artemis 1 is an uncrewed test flight around the Moon. It is the first mission of the Artemis programme, which aims to build a sustainable human presence on the Moon.

It will test the performance of the rocket and the Orion spacecraft.

Nasa's first launch attempt of Artemis 1 on August 29 failed owing to what engineers believed was a rocket engine cooling problem.

Its second attempt on September 3 also failed after engineers detected a hydrogen leak.

Nasa was targeting September 27 for a lift-off before the hurricane hit.

Artemis 2 will be a crewed flight to the Moon’s orbit and Artemis 3 will be the first human landing mission under the programme.