America’s new attempt to launch a moon rocket

ANP products | Source: AP

Today at 04:12

Cape Canaveral

Once again, America is attempting to launch a historic mission to the moon and back. The unmanned mission Artemis I should pave the way for astronauts to walk on the moon again in a few years. The launch is scheduled for Wednesday morning between 07:04 and 09:04 Dutch time. If all goes well, the ship will return to Earth on December 11.

This was the third attempt to launch the aircraft. In August, the launch was canceled after one of the four rocket engines could not be brought up to temperature. In September, a leak was discovered while filling the fuel tank with liquid hydrogen, leading to a second attempt. After that, Rocket and Ian had to go to the hangar to take shelter from the severe storm.

It will be the first flight in America’s new lunar program. The country wants to send people to the moon within a few years for the first time since 1972. The most powerful rocket ever developed for this purpose is the Space Launch System (SLS). On top of that rocket is the new craft Orion, which is supposed to go to the moon and return. Astronauts will sit in the front, on the US side. The rear end, which provides power and propulsion, is developed by Europe. The solar panels that generate the electricity come from Leiden.