In new setback, hurricane forces Moon rocket into storage / Photo: Joel KOWSKY - NASA/AFP
-
Van Nistelrooy says he will 'cherish' Man Utd memories in farewell message
-
IAEA chief tours sensitive Iran nuclear plants
-
Pompeii rejects 'mass tourism' with daily visitor limit
-
Jailed Russian poet could be 'killed' in prison, warns wife
-
French court orders release of Lebanese militant held since 1984
-
Global stocks struggle after Fed signals slower rate cuts
-
UK economy slows, hitting government growth plans
-
Primary schools empty as smog persists in Indian capital
-
Palestinians turn to local soda in boycott of Israel-linked goods
-
Typhoon Man-yi bears down on Philippines still reeling from Usagi
-
UK growth slows in third quarter, dealing blow to Labour government
-
Chris Wood hits quickfire double in NZ World Cup qualifying romp
-
Markets struggle at end of tough week
-
China tests building Moon base with lunar soil bricks
-
Film's 'search for Palestine' takes centre stage at Cairo festival
-
Oil execs work COP29 as NGOs slam lobbyist presence
-
Gore says climate progress 'won't slow much' because of Trump
-
'Megaquake' warning hits Japan's growth
-
Stiff business: Berlin startup will freeze your corpse for monthly fee
-
Wars, looming Trump reign set to dominate G20 summit
-
Xi, Biden attend Asia-Pacific summit, prepare to meet
-
Kyrgios to make competitive return at Brisbane next month after injuries
-
Dominican Juan Luis Guerra triumphs at 25th annual Latin Grammys
-
Landslide win for Sri Lanka president's leftist coalition in snap polls
-
Australian World Cup penalty hero Vine takes mental health break
-
As Philippines picks up from Usagi, a fresh storm bears down
-
Tropical Storm Sara pounds Honduras with heavy rain
-
Pepi gives Pochettino win for USA in Jamaica
-
'Hell to heaven' as China reignite World Cup hopes with late winner
-
Rebel attacks keep Indian-run Kashmir on the boil
-
New Zealand challenge 'immense but fantastic' for France
-
Under pressure England boss Borthwick in Springboks' spotlight
-
All Blacks plan to nullify 'freakish' Dupont, says Lienert-Brown
-
TikTok makes AI driven ad tool available globally
-
Japan growth slows as new PM readies stimulus
-
China retail sales pick up speed, beat forecasts in October
-
Asian markets fluctuate at end of tough week
-
Gay, trans people voicing -- and sometimes screaming -- Trump concerns
-
Argentina fall in Paraguay, Brazil held in Venezuela
-
N. Korean leader orders 'mass production' of attack drones
-
Pakistan's policies hazy as it fights smog
-
Nature pays price for war in Israel's north
-
New Zealand's prolific Williamson back for England Test series
-
Mexico City youth grapple with growing housing crisis
-
After Trump's victory, US election falsehoods shift left
-
Cracks deepen in Canada's pro-immigration 'consensus'
-
Xi inaugurates South America's first Chinese-funded port in Peru
-
Tyson slaps Paul in final face-off before Netflix bout
-
England wrap-up T20 series win over West Indies
-
Stewards intervene to stop Israel, France football fans clash at Paris match
NYSE - LSE
| CMSC | -0.24% | 24.55 | $ | |
| RIO | -0.31% | 60.43 | $ | |
| NGG | 0.4% | 62.37 | $ | |
| RBGPF | 100% | 61.84 | $ | |
| RYCEF | -4.71% | 6.79 | $ | |
| BP | 1.65% | 29.05 | $ | |
| GSK | -2.09% | 34.39 | $ | |
| AZN | -0.38% | 65.04 | $ | |
| RELX | -0.37% | 45.95 | $ | |
| BTI | 0.2% | 35.49 | $ | |
| SCS | -0.75% | 13.27 | $ | |
| CMSD | -0.02% | 24.725 | $ | |
| VOD | -0.81% | 8.68 | $ | |
| JRI | -0.23% | 13.21 | $ | |
| BCC | -1.57% | 140.35 | $ | |
| BCE | -1.38% | 26.84 | $ |
In new setback, hurricane forces Moon rocket into storage
NASA's Artemis 1 rocket -- waiting to blast off on a delayed mission to the Moon -- will be rolled back into its storage hangar Monday night, the space agency said, as Florida braces for Hurricane Ian.
The move, to protect the rocket from strong winds and heavy rain forecast for the Kennedy Space Center, will cause further setbacks for the uncrewed Moon mission, which was scheduled to launch last month and has already been pushed back three times.
"After reviewing the forecast for Ian, we will roll our Artemis I vehicle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building tonight," NASA official Jim Free tweeted. "It was the right and necessary decision to keep our people and hardware safe."
The decision was "based on the latest weather predictions associated with Hurricane Ian, after additional data gathered overnight did not show improving expected conditions," the space agency said in a blog.
The operation to move the 98-meter (320-foot) rocket, which is sitting on its launch pad, is set to begin around 11:00 pm (0300 GMT) Monday night, NASA said.
It will be ferried along on a rolling platform moving slowly to avoid damaging the rocket with vibrations.
Hurricane Ian, which was situated as a Category 1 hurricane southwest of Cuba on Monday, is expected to strengthen as it heads toward Florida through the Gulf of Mexico.
NASA had waited until the last minute to decide whether to shelter Artemis I in the hope of being able to schedule a take-off attempt just after the storm passed.
There will now be no opportunity for blast-off within the current launch window, which runs until October 4, and NASA has not indicated when another launch might be attempted.
The next window runs from October 17 to 31, and again from November 12 to 27 -- both with some exceptions.
The storage decision represents only the latest setback for Artemis 1, after previous launch attempts were canceled due to the hurricane and a fuel leak.
This latest Moon mission comes 50 years after the final flight of the Apollo program, with Artemis 1 set to show whether the Orion capsule, situated on top of the rocket, is safe to transport humans back to the Moon's surface.
A.Williams--AT
