CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Space enthusiasts will have to wait a bit longer for the uncrewed Artemis I launch from Florida's coast as NASA announced Wednesday the rollout and final testing of the Space Launch System rocket has been delayed.
According to the nation's top space agency, the rocket and Orion spacecraft will not be moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B for testing until 6 p.m. on March 17. The process will take several hours to complete.
"NASA has added additional time to complete closeout activities inside the VAB prior to rolling the integrated rocket and spacecraft out for the first time. While the teams are not working any major issues, engineers continue work associated with final closeout tasks and flight termination system testing ahead of the wet dress rehearsal," NASA wrote.
Teams are said to be taking operations one step at a time to ensure a safe launch of the mission. That means NASA is now targeting liftoff opportunities for Artemis I in April or May.
The first test flight of the moon rocket has already seen several delays with February and March 2022 being previous "no earlier than" targets for the space agency.
Artemis I will be the first integrated test of NASA's deep space exploration systems that will look to carry the first woman and person of color to the moon in now-2025.
"The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight test that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond," NASA wrote.
You can learn more about the Artemis I mission here.
