The countdown to NASA’s Artemis I launch is underway for an expected launch from Florida’s Space Coast on Wednesday, although damage sustained during Hurricane Nicole could delay the rocket’s journey a bit longer. As Hurricane Nicole made landfall in Florida last Thursday, strong winds caused a 10-foot section of caulking to peel off near the crew capsule above the rocket, the Associated Press reported. CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – SEPTEMBER 02: NASA’s Artemis I rocket sits on launch pad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center on September 2, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Artemis I tried for the first time was cleaned after an issue was found on one of the rocks ((Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) / Getty Images) This is the first test flight for the 322-foot rocket, which is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 1:04 a.m. on Wednesday – the crew capsule will not be manned by astronauts this time around, but test dummies will occupy the space. NASA REVEALS ARTEMIS IS NEXT LAUNCH ATTEMPT Mission managers fear that the peeling caulk, though tight, could damage the rocket if it ruptures. They are expected to make a final decision on whether to go ahead with the launch sometime Monday afternoon, according to the AP. “Artemis I will be the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will establish a long-term human presence on the moon for decades to come,” NASA said on its website. “The primary goals for Artemis I are to demonstrate Orion’s systems in a spaceflight environment and to ensure a safe reentry, descent, collapse and recovery prior to the first crewed flight on Artemis II.” NASA’s moon rocket is ready less than 24 hours before it is scheduled to launch at Pad 39B for the Artemis 1 mission into lunar orbit at the Kennedy Space Center, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP Newsroom) Over the course of 25 days, 11 hours and 36 minutes, the spacecraft will travel 1.3 million miles, and when it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, it is expected to travel at a speed of 24,500 mph, or Mach 32, before blasting off. December 11. NASA SCIENTISTS WORK ON GROUND MISSIONS PREPARED TO PUT AMERICAN BOOTS ON THE MOON While in space, the spacecraft will orbit Earth, deploy solar arrays and the Intermediate Cryogenic Propulsion Stage, or ICPS, to get enough thrust to leave the planet’s orbit and travel to the Moon, NASA said on its website her. Reaching the moon will take several days, but once there it will fly 62 miles above the moon’s surface and use gravity to propel the Orion spacecraft about 40,000 miles from the moon into orbit. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft sits atop the mobile launcher at Launch Pad 39B as teams configure systems to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center ( (Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky) / Fox News) It will then orbit the moon for six days before returning to earth. Once the spacecraft returns, it is expected to land off the coast of Baja California. The AP reported that the $4 billion monthly shipment has been stalled since August due to fuel leaks and Hurricane Ian. GET THE FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE NASA moved the rocket to its hangar during Hurricane Ian, but remained on the launch pad during Hurricane Nicole. The last time NASA sent astronauts to the moon was during the final mission of the Apollo program in December 1972. NASA is using this prototype pressurized lunar rover to learn more about current technological limitations to help build a newer version for future Artemis missions. (FOX / Fox News)
