spacetoday.net: NASA moves ahead with Artemis 1 launch plans after hurricane

NASA moves ahead with Artemis 1 launch plans after hurricane

Posted: Sat, Nov 12, 2022, 8:11 AM ET (1311 GMT)
Artemis 1 on the pad, November 2022 (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA said Friday it will move ahead with a Nov. 16 Artemis 1 launch attempt after finding only "very minor" damage caused by Hurricane Nicole. NASA said that inspections at the pad found only minor issues, such as loose caulk and tears in weather coverings, caused by the storm. Those repairs, the agency said, can be made in time to support a launch attempt in the early morning hours of Nov. 16. The agency defended the decision to keep the SLS and Orion on the pad during the storm, noting that winds did not exceed conservative limits and that rolling the vehicle back to the VAB would have been riskier. NASA has backup launch dates of Nov. 19 and Nov. 25 reserved if needed.