Over the weekend, NASA said it has called off Tuesday’s planned launch of the Artemis I mission and its Orion spacecraft as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida.
Although Hurricane Ian is not expected to come ashore until Thursday, the hurricane’s outer bands might have created adverse conditions for the spacecraft.
NASA said it would decide on Monday morning whether to move Orion off the launching pad, a move that would place a significant delay on its launch.
If NASA keeps the spacecraft on the launching pad, it has another potential launch window on Oct. 2.
The Artemis I mission has been delayed multiple times since officials first tried to launch it on Aug. 29.
The spacecraft most recently had issues with a hydrogen leak that required NASA to reseal a tank.
After performing bleed tests on the tank last week, NASA planned on moving forward with Tuesday’s launch before Hurricane Ian’s development.
The next Artemis mission isn't scheduled until 2024. While Artemis I will be unmanned, Artemis II will send four astronauts on a flyby of the moon.
Artemis III is expected to include a crewed mission to the moon's surface.
