Artemis moon launch delayed again as Tropical Storm Ian strengthens
CBSN
Faced with stormy weather ahead of Tropical Storm Ian, which is expected to become a hurricane, NASA managers on Saturday ruled out a third attempt to launch the Artemis 1 moon rocket Tuesday but held open the option of making a run at blastoff on October 2, the current backup date.
That would require leaving the $4.1 billion 330-foot-tall Space Launch System rocket exposed to the elements atop pad 39B, assuming assurance from forecasters winds would not exceed 74 knots, the certified safety limit.
NASA Artemis 1 management team deferred making a decision on whether to haul the moon rocket back to the protection of the Vehicle Assembly Building in hopes of a more favorable forecast that would allow it to ride out the weather at the launch pad.
