NASA

Artemis I unmanned lunar rocket at Launch Complex 39B of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape. The SLS-Orion is NASA's most powerful vehicle ever developed, ...

You can watch the livestream I think a lot of us couldn’t quite believe it – we’ve now got the go for launch. She told the PA news agency: "I’m ridiculously excited, and I think everybody on the team is. "Now, I think it’s really sinking in that this is reality, this is happening, and it’s going to really start this whole new chapter of space exploration, and going to the moon. It will feature guest appearances as well as some musical numbers. The launch will be free to watch and is set to be streamed live across the world.

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“It is going to be, for me personally, a really special moment to be back there after so long. Libby Jackson, exploration science manager at the UK Space Agency, said: “The first launch of the Artemis 1 SLS rocket is an important step for the global space community as we prepare to return humans to the Moon. “Now, I think it’s really sinking in that this is reality, this is happening, and it’s going to really start this whole new chapter of space exploration, and going to the Moon. The UK is part of the Artemis programme, making contributions to the Lunar Gateway – a space station currently in development with the European Space Agency – working alongside the US, Europe, Canada and Japan. “This is the first time that we will have seen one of our European service modules flying in space and going to the Moon. The uncrewed flight marks the next chapter in putting humans back on the Moon, and is the first in Nasa’s Artemis programme.

The launch today is a test flight, so no one will be on board this time. This mission will be testing the Orion crew capsule, atop the rocket. A 1.3 million- ...

Through this, it hopes to develop a blueprint to explore the solar system The launch today is a test flight, so no one will be on board this time. It is named Moonikin Campos in honour of Nasa engineer Arturo Campos. It is expected to last 42 days, three hours and 20 minutes, wnding with “splashdown” in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, scheduled for 10 October. There are two other mannequins, with heads and female torsos but no limbs, named Helga and Zohar. If all goes to plan, the first crewed flight is scheduled for 2024 – with plans for the first woman and the first person of colour to be on the mission, which will be called Artemis II

NASA's Artemis 1 mission to the moon will see its Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion capsule lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida ...

"Teams also are assessing what appears to be a crack in the thermal protection system material on one of the flanges on the core stage. In a nutshell, they're checking that the rocket, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty and has the Orion spacecraft at its centre, works. The new missions are named after Greek goddess Artemis, the twin sister of Apollo. Engine 3 is not properly being conditioned through the bleed process, and engineers are troubleshooting. Sky's David Blevins, at Cape Canaveral, understands the hydrogen leak is a ground issue - not a flight issue. NASA has provided an update on the fuel leak threatening the Artemis launch and reported a new problem in the Space Launch System rocket. So, it is a leak in the line that fuels the rocket, not in the rocket itself. Artemis 1 is the first test mission in NASA's plan to send humans back to the moon in 2025 - and beyond that the quest to get humans to Mars. The US is in a space race with China to stop parts of the moon being claimed as "exclusive territory", NASA has said. Earlier, NASA reported fuel leaks in the launch system for the Artemis I mission as well as a conditioning problem in engine 3. - Artemis I is test run for mission to send humans to the moon in 2025 - before eventual attempt to put humans on Mars NASA's Artemis 1 mission to the moon will see its Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion capsule lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida from 1.33pm - you can watch and follow live here.

It will launch from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. There will be no crew on board the Orion spacecraft carried by the rocket, on what is expected to be a ...

They will measure cosmic radiation and one will be testing a protective vest from Israel. Its name is Moonikin Campos, in honour of the Nasa engineer Arturo Campos. While there will be no human crew on board the Orion capsule, there will be a vast array of the weird and wonderful and the sentimental among its payload. There will be no crew on board the Orion spacecraft carried by the rocket, on what is expected to be a six-week mission. The first crewed flight, is scheduled for 2024 and among its aims is to get the first woman and the first person of colour on the Moon. [Nasa’s Artemis 1](https://inews.co.uk/news/nasa-launch-artemis1-rocket-moon-ahead-crewed-launches-2024-182058?ico=in-line_link)‘s Space Launch System (SLS) is scheduled for lift-off on Monday and the hopes are that it will pave the way for a [return of people to the moon ](https://inews.co.uk/news/nasa-launch-artemis1-rocket-moon-ahead-crewed-launches-2024-1820581?ico=in-line_link)after a 50-year absence.

NASA has outlined that the first Artemis astronauts are expected to land on the moon in 2025. The National Wales: The new Nasa moon rocket is seen on Launch Pad ...

The Artemis 1 mission will be the first launch of the new 322ft tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which the agency says is the world’s most powerful rocket to date. The rocket launch marks the first in the agency’s Artemis programme and opens the next chapter of putting humans back on the moon. The final countdown to NASA's launch of the moon rocket Artemis has begun and here's how you can tune in.

The space agency confirmed there had been a liquid hydrogen leak but it was unclear whether the launch would be delayed.

“It is going to be, for me personally, a really special moment to be back there after so long. “The Artemis programme marks the next chapter of human space exploration and we look forward to continued involvement as it comes to life.” Libby Jackson, exploration science manager at the UK Space Agency, said: “The first launch of the Artemis 1 SLS rocket is an important step for the global space community as we prepare to return humans to the Moon. “Now, I think it’s really sinking in that this is reality, this is happening, and it’s going to really start this whole new chapter of space exploration, and going to the Moon. “This is the first time that we will have seen one of our European service modules flying in space and going to the Moon. The Artemis 1 mission will see the first launch of the new 322ft (98m) tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which the agency says is the world’s most powerful rocket to date.

Test flight part of plan to return humans to the moon – and eventually Mars. Plus, the people who can't stop daydreaming.

[increasing interest to psychologists](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/aug/28/i-just-go-into-my-head-and-enjoy-it-the-people-who-cant-stop-daydreaming), who have started to identify a subset of the population marked for their unusually immersive daydreams. [appealed for international help](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/29/pakistan-floods-plea-for-help-amid-fears-monsoon-could-put-a-third-of-country-underwater) to tackle a flooding emergency that has killed more than 1,000 people and threatens to leave a third of the country – an area roughly the size of Britain – under water. [causing consternation among activists](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/28/amazon-activists-mourn-death-of-man-of-the-hole-last-of-his-tribe)lamenting the loss of another ethnic language and culture. Rory Stewart said people needed to be reminded Johnson was forced to quit – over a [slew of scandals](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jul/01/scandal-timeline-tory-sleaze-boris-johnson). The flight continued and landed safely, and the dispute didn’t affect the rest of the flight, an official said, stressing the airline’s commitment to safety. Switzerland’s La Tribune reported that the pilot and co-pilot had a dispute shortly after takeoff and grabbed each other by their collars after one apparently hit the other. [physically fighting in the cockpit](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/29/two-air-france-pilots-suspended-after-fight-in-cockpit-prompts-cabin-crew-to-intervene) on a Geneva-Paris flight in June, Air France confirmed. Environmental and public health advocates are pushing a new strategy to help get there: including climate breakdown in the official US dietary guidelines, which shape what goes into billions of meals eaten across the country every year. The sticker read: “Do You Want to Sail the World With Me?” Five years later, Nadiyana and Mark are “It covers 79 years in the life of my main character,” she says. “I don’t hear any of these Republicans squawking when we give massive tax breaks to billionaires, the Vermont senator said. But in the days leading up to Monday’s launch, Nasa administrators said that Americans would find the cost to be justified.

Nasa has outlined that the first Artemis astronauts are expected to land on the moon in 2025. The National: The new Nasa moon rocket is seen on Launch Pad 39-B ...

The Artemis 1 mission will be the first launch of the new 322ft tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which the agency says is the world’s most powerful rocket to date. [Europe](https://www.thenational.scot/news/europe), Canada and Japan, it will also be tracking the mission from Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall. [Nasa ](https://www.thenational.wales/news/20293790.nasa-reveals-roman-space-telescope-space-rock-damaged-james-webb-space-telescope/)has outlined that the first Artemis astronauts are expected to land on the moon in 2025. The rocket launch marks the first in the agency’s Although this launch will be uncrewed, astronauts are expected to be on board for subsequent missions, with the first crewed flight scheduled for 2024. [Nasa's launch of the moon rocket Artemis](https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/national/20826651.artemis-1-mission-launch-humans-seek-return-moon/) has begun and here's how you can tune in.

Last-minute scrub of Artemis rocket delays effort to return astronauts to lunar surface.

[Purchase a Team or Enterprise subscription for per week You will be billed per month after the trial ends](https://enterprise.ft.com/en-gb/services/group-subscriptions/group-contact-us/b/?barrierName=anon_barrier&segmentId=9fbe4fe1-9315-3d67-cc6d-2bc7650c4aea&ft-content-uuid=2c2ee15e-dfbf-4096-a4a3-877774a03ac0) [Purchase a Print subscription for 11,12 € per week You will be billed 107,91 € per month after the trial ends](https://subs.ft.com/spa3_uk3m?segmentId=461cfe95-f454-6e0b-9f7b-0800950bef25&utm_us=JJIBAX&utm_eu=WWIBEAX&utm_ca=JJIBAZ&utm_as=FIBAZ&ft-content-uuid=2c2ee15e-dfbf-4096-a4a3-877774a03ac0) [Purchase a Digital subscription for 6,64 € per week You will be billed 39 € per month after the trial ends](https://subs.ft.com/spa3_digital?ft-content-uuid=2c2ee15e-dfbf-4096-a4a3-877774a03ac0)

NASA has had to delay the launch of its powerful SLS rocket. New Scientist's Leah Crane reports from the scene in Florida.

The crack later turned out to be in the foam insulation, not the tanks themselves, but the engine issue persisted for the rest of the morning. If the spacecraft has to be rolled back inside to fix the engine issue, it will probably be delayed beyond that. It was nearly 4.00 in the morning local time, with the launch window scheduled for 8.33 to 10.33, and the delays were already piling up. Engineers are now working to fix the issues that thwarted the 29 August launch attempt in the hopes of trying again in early September. Then the tube used to load the hydrogen got too warm. [NASA’s campaign to send humans back to the moon](/article/2207338-nasa-is-going-back-to-the-moon-but-most-people-in-the-us-dont-want-to/) for the first time since 1972.

Nasa's Artemis 1 mission will hopefully be the first of a series that will put humans back on the moon – and eventually send them to Mars.

[ Artemis 1 ](https://inews.co.uk/news/nasa-launch-artemis1-rocket-moon-ahead-crewed-launches-2024-1820581?ico=in-line_link)mission will hopefully be the first of a series that will put humans back on the moon – and eventually send them to Mars. It will take the Orion capsule, powered by the Airbus-built European Service Module (ESM), into the Moon’s orbit. This being said, the Artemis mission will spend a great deal longer in space as it has other tasks to complete on the dark side of the moon and beyond. “Now, I think it’s really sinking in that this is reality, this is happening, and it’s going to really start this whole new chapter of space exploration, and going to the Moon. The aim of the Artemis programme is to get astronauts on the moon by 2024, which will be the first time humans have left the earth’s orbit since 1972. [The Artemis 1 test flight to the moon has been postponed](https://inews.co.uk/news/artemis-1-launch-nasa-postpones-moon-mission-friday-technical-issues-1821504?ico=in-line_link) after Nasa engineers raced to fix last-minute technical issues with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

A fuel leak and then an engine problem during final liftoff preparations led NASA to call off the launch of its mighty new moon rocket Monday on its debut ...

The rocket was set to lift off on a flight to propel a crew capsule into orbit around the moon. Engineers scrambled to understand an 11-minute delay in the communication lines between launch control and Orion that cropped up late Sunday. Regardless of all the technical snags, thunderstorms ultimately would have prevented a liftoff. Even though no one was on board, thousands of people jammed the coast to see the rocket soar. As precious minutes ticked away Monday morning, NASA repeatedly stopped and started the fueling of the Space Launch System rocket with nearly 1 million gallons of super-cold hydrogen and oxygen because of a leak of highly explosive hydrogen. Then, NASA ran into new trouble when it was unable to properly chill one of the rocket’s four main engines, officials said.

The rocket launch marks the first in the agency's Artemis programme and marks the next chapter of putting humans back on the moon.

If you want to tune into the launch, you will be able to view it on NASA's website live beginning from 5 pm BST (12pm ET) on Monday, 29 August. [NASA plans to retire](https://www.thenational.wales/news/19898486.nasa-plans-retire-international-space-station-crashing-pacific-ocean-2031/) [International](/news/world_news/) Space Station by crashing it into Pacific Ocean in 2031 [NASA](https://www.thenational.wales/news/20293790.nasa-reveals-roman-space-telescope-space-rock-damaged-james-webb-space-telescope/) has outlined that the first Artemis astronauts are expected to land on the moon in 2025. The Artemis 1 mission will be the first launch of the new 322ft tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which the agency says is the world’s most powerful rocket to date. [Artemis programme](https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/20795546.watch-artemis-1-launch-uk-time-role-goonhilly-earth-station-cornwall/) and opens the next chapter of putting humans back on the moon. [NASA's launch of the moon rocket Artemis](https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/national/20826651.artemis-1-mission-launch-humans-seek-return-moon/) has begun and here's how you can tune in.

US space agency technicians working against the clock to correct 'engine bleed' in time for possible rescheduled lift-off on Friday.

The Orion crew capsule is the brainchild of Lockheed Martin. They may be floating worlds, they may be the surface of Mars. But this is just part of our push outward, our quest to explore, to find out what’s out there in this universe.” “Engineers are focused on gathering as much data as they can, so they have not gone to draining the rocket just yet.” “This time we’re going back, we’re going to live there, we’re going to learn there. If Artemis 1 ultimately succeeds, astronauts will be onboard an interim test flight along the same route 40,000 miles beyond the moon and back, a trek scheduled for 2024.

Nasa engineers are assessing engine and thermal insluation issues that forced the space agency to scrub the launch of its new Moon rocket on Monday.

Together, the launch vehicle and spacecraft are the cornerstones of Nasa’s new Artemis Moon program, which aims to land humans on the Moon again by 2025 with the Artemis III mission. When it launches, be it 2 or 5 September, or another date, Artemis I will power Orion on a lunar flyby mission that will last 42 days and allow Nasa to collect important data on how the rocket and spacecraft perform before the first humans board the new vehicles. Anticipating the possibility of unpredictable problems scrubbing the first launch, Nasa already has two backup launch windows in mind for a follow up launch attempt. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) “It’s just illustrative that this is a very complicated machine, a very complicated system, and all those things have to work. [in a statement](https://www.independent.co.uk/space/artemis-launch-nasa-live-stream-watch-b2154809.html) about the decision to scrub the launch. Nasa started the launch countdown on Saturday 27 August, but the count entered a protracted hold before the launch window opened due to the engine issue. [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. [four attempts](https://www.independent.co.uk/space/nasa-fourth-wet-dress-rehearsal-b2107280.html) to complete all aspects of the wet dress rehearsal failed, Nasa decided to move on without completing every aspect of the test in June. The engine bleed test is one of the procedures Nasa had planned to check during a “wet dress rehearsal” for launch where the space agency rolled the SLS to the launch pad and practiced filling it with fuel and running a simulated countdown. [Artemis](/topic/artemis) I mission opened at 8.33am Monday morning, and Nasa’s ground operations crew had begun filling the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at 1.14am as it sat on the launch pad at [Kennedy Space Center](/topic/kennedy-space-center) in Florida. [Nasa](/topic/nasa)’s new massive [Moon](/topic/moon) rocket scheduled for Monday morning has been scrubbed due to a problem with one of the rocket’s engines, but the space agency can try again as soon as 2 September.

'It's just illustrative that this is a very complicated machine,' said Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson.

“This is a test flight, all right, and it’s not without risk. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) This base will then be used to launch astronauts to Mars, though this is unlikely to happen before the end of the decade. [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. The US space agency plans to eventually establish a permanent human colony on the moon. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism “We are stressing Orion beyond what it was actually designed for in preparation for sending it to the moon with a crew and we want to make sure that it works absolutely perfectly when we do that and that we understand all the risks,” said Bob Cabana, Nasa’s Associate Administrator, ahead of the launch. “Launch controllers were continuing to evaluate why a bleed test to get the [engines] to the proper temperature range for lift-off was not successful, and ran out of time in the two-hour launch window,” Nasa said in an It was not the only glitch in the build-up to the cancelled launch, but a liquid hydrogen leak and a frost formation were both successfully troubleshooted before they were able to jeopardise the launch countdown. [Nasa](/topic/nasa) was forced to abort the debut launch of its moon rocket on Monday after failing to fix a critical issue with one of its engines. The Space Launch System was set to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida as part of the

Around 40 minutes before the rocket was due to take off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the space agency said it was encountering an “ ...

“It is going to be, for me personally, a really special moment to be back there after so long. Libby Jackson, exploration science manager at the UK Space Agency, said: “The first launch of the Artemis 1 SLS rocket is an important step for the global space community as we prepare to return humans to the Moon. “Now, I think it’s really sinking in that this is reality, this is happening, and it’s going to really start this whole new chapter of space exploration, and going to the Moon. The Artemis 1 mission will see the first launch of the new 322ft (98m) tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, which the agency says is the world’s most powerful rocket to date. “The hydrogen team of the Nasa Space Launch System rocket is discussing plans with the Artemis 1 launch director.” Nasa expects the first Artemis astronauts to land on the Moon in 2025.

NASA's colossal next-generation rocketship is due to have its debut launch on Monday but a crack in the intertank is delaying proceedings.

It also seeks to establish a long-term lunar colony as a stepping stone to even more ambitious future voyages sending humans to Mars. The capsule is expected to splash down in the Pacific on October 10. Engineers are currently evaluating the problem.

Following the Artemis I launch scrub Monday from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency will hold a media briefing at ...

Artemis Mission Manager Mike Sarafin said during a press conference on Monday afternoon that his team “will come back and talk about where we stand tomorrow ...

Nasa officials, including Administrator Bill Nelson, told reporters that the space agency’s approach was to fly the big rocket when it was ready to fly, and no sooner. “It's not going to fly until it's ready,” Mr Nelson said. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) “That's at the point where the team decided that it was appropriate to to declare the scrub, because we just weren't going to make the two hours window.” And we're not ready to give up yet.” [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. It follows the last minute scrubbing of the highly anticipated Artemis I mission launch on Monday, which would have seen the first flight of Nasa’s huge new Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket. [Artemis](/topic/artemis) Mission Manager Mike Sarafin said during a press conference on Monday afternoon that his team “will come back and talk about where we stand tomorrow evening”. “We're gonna play all nine innings here, you know. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our “We would have been no go for weather at the beginning of the window due to precipitation,” Mr Sarafin told reporters, “and later on in the window we would have been no go for lightning.” [Leer en Español](https://www.independentespanol.com/noticias/lanzamiento-artemis-nasa-orion-luna-b2155206.html) [Nasa](/topic/nasa) cannot yet commit to a new launch date for its Artemis I rocket as it is “too early to say what the options are”, a spokesperson for the cancelled mission has said.

Engineers race to fix problem but launch director scrubs lift-off after an engine bleed 'couldn't be remedied'. The NASA rocket stands on Pad 39B after a ...

Nasa expects the first Artemis astronauts to land on the Moon in 2025. A third planned mission, Artemis III, will see humans touch down on the Moon. [The aim of the Artemis programme](https://inews.co.uk/news/science/artemis-1-mission-what-carry-nasa-sls-moon-rocket-crew-cargo-explained-1821180?ico=in-line_link) is to get astronauts on the Moon by 2024, which will be the first time humans have left the Earth’s orbit since 1972. [Nasa’s Artemis I mission ](https://inews.co.uk/news/science/artemis-what-mean-nasa-moon-launch-name-meaning-explained-greek-goddess-apollo-1821429?ico=in-line_link)is intended to be the first of a series that will put humans back on the Moon – and eventually send them to Mars. Mr Nelson added “This is a brand-new rocket. There are millions of components of this rocket and its systems, and needless to say the complexity is daunting when you bring it all into the focus of a countdown.”

Following the Artemis I launch scrub Monday from Launch Complex 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency will hold a media briefing at ...

Nasa engineers are assessing engine and thermal insluation issues that forced the space agency to scrub the launch of its new Moon rocket on Monday.

Together, the launch vehicle and spacecraft are the cornerstones of Nasa’s new Artemis Moon program, which aims to land humans on the Moon again by 2025 with the Artemis III mission. When it launches, be it 2 or 5 September, or another date, Artemis I will power Orion on a lunar flyby mission that will last 42 days and allow Nasa to collect important data on how the rocket and spacecraft perform before the first humans board the new vehicles. Anticipating the possibility of unpredictable problems scrubbing the first launch, Nasa already has two backup launch windows in mind for a follow up launch attempt. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) “It’s just illustrative that this is a very complicated machine, a very complicated system, and all those things have to work. [in a statement](https://www.independent.co.uk/space/artemis-launch-nasa-live-stream-watch-b2154809.html) about the decision to scrub the launch. Nasa started the launch countdown on Saturday 27 August, but the count entered a protracted hold before the launch window opened due to the engine issue. [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. [four attempts](https://www.independent.co.uk/space/nasa-fourth-wet-dress-rehearsal-b2107280.html) to complete all aspects of the wet dress rehearsal failed, Nasa decided to move on without completing every aspect of the test in June. The engine bleed test is one of the procedures Nasa had planned to check during a “wet dress rehearsal” for launch where the space agency rolled the SLS to the launch pad and practiced filling it with fuel and running a simulated countdown. [Artemis](/topic/artemis) I mission opened at 8.33am Monday morning, and Nasa’s ground operations crew had begun filling the massive Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at 1.14am as it sat on the launch pad at [Kennedy Space Center](/topic/kennedy-space-center) in Florida. [Nasa](/topic/nasa)’s new massive [Moon](/topic/moon) rocket scheduled for Monday morning has been scrubbed due to a problem with one of the rocket’s engines, but the space agency can try again as soon as 2 September.

The Artemis 1 test flight had been due to take off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral but was called off by the launch director due to a ...

When asked how realistic it is to expect another attempt so soon, Mr Sarafin said: ‘Friday is definitely in play. The UK is part of the Artemis programme, making contributions to the Lunar Gateway – a space station currently in development with the European Space Agency – working alongside the US, Europe, Canada and Japan. [Nasa calls off Artemis moon rocket launch due to technical snag](https://metro.co.uk/2022/08/29/nasa-calls-off-artemis-moon-rocket-launch-due-to-technical-snag-17261570/?ico=more_text_links) ‘She is very bullish on our space programme and on this particular programme of going back to the Moon and going to Mars.’ ‘There are millions of components of this rocket and its systems, and needless to say the complexity is daunting when you bring it all into the focus of a countdown.’ The flight, which will carry mannequins rather than astronauts, marks the next chapter in putting humans back on the Moon, and is the first in Nasa’s Artemis programme.

US space agency forced to postpone launch that will eventually return humans to lunar surface.

Last year the two authoritarian regimes announced a [joint plan](https://www.theweek.co.uk/952216/russia-china-deal-moon-base-race) to build a research station on the Moon, raising serious security concerns among Western analysts. [The Observer](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/28/observer-view-artemis-deep-space-project) said in an editorial: “It is a colossal investment and there are nagging doubts that it is justified at a time when private space companies, such as Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, are developing giant reusable rockets that could slash deep-space mission cost.” The 42-day mission involves the inaugural launch of the massive Space Launch System (SLS) mega-rocket, which will carry the unmanned Orion spacecraft beyond the Moon. A map on Nasa’s website shows contributing contractors in every US state and more than 20 partners across Europe. The first is political. All 12 people to have landed on the Moon, between 1969 and 1972, have been white men from the US. [Russia](https://www.theweek.co.uk/106954/russia-accuses-us-of-moon-invasion) and [China](https://www.theweek.co.uk/space/953127/everything-you-need-to-know-about-chinas-space-race) could step in to fill a lunar void left by the US. It is hoped this will eventually serve as a springboard to send humans to Mars. Engineers are now working furiously to find a solution to the coolant issue, with hopes that the rescheduled launch can still go ahead this week. [Space.com](https://www.space.com/artemis-1-space-launch-system-rocket-cost), helping to give SLS and the Artemis programme “staying power”. [estimated](https://oig.nasa.gov/docs/IG-22-003.pdf) that US taxpayers will end up paying $93bn to fund the Artemis programme, with [Florida Today](https://eu.floridatoday.com/in-depth/tech/science/space/2022/08/17/artemis-launch-nasa-kennedy-space-center-moon-rocket-florida/9734586002/) arguing that the giant SLS “stands at risk of going down as one of the biggest boondoggles in spaceflight history if Nasa can’t find a way to control costs”. [lunar space station](https://www.theweek.co.uk/space/101344/nasa-s-artemis-outpost-leak-reveals-plan-for-manned-lunar-base) called Gateway, to support activities both on and around the Moon.