Artemis launch – live: Nasa won’t commit to new launch date lift-off was scrubbed
Momentous lift off of Atemis 1 mission as Nasa live stream reveals potential issues with core stage
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Your support makes all the difference.The launch Nasa’s Artemis 1 mission scheduled for Monday morning has been scrubbed due to issues with one of the Moon rocket’s engines.
Lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida was set for 08.33 local time (13.33 BST) on Monday, 29 August. The next launch window for Artemis I opens 2 September, with a second back up window opening 5 September.
As of Monday afternoon, Nasa officials said the space agency needs more time to assess the problems encountered during Monday’s launch before they can decide on a new launch date, but for now they are keeping the rocket on the pad and in a configuration that could allow a launch on Friday.
Weather conditions were favourable for launch Monday, despite some concerning lightning strikes over the weekend, and weather was not a direct cause for the scrub.
Artemis 1 is the first flight for Nasa’s fiant Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion capsule, serving as a crucial test for making sure all the related systems function properly in space ahead of the first humans climbing aboard Artemis 2 in 2023.
You can follow all the latest news and updates in our live blog below, and watch a live stream of the Artemis 1 rocket launch from Nasa TV at the top of this page.
SLS Countydown still on hold
As of 8.03am EDT Monday, the countdown for the launch of Artemis I is still on hold due to an engine bleed issue on engine three of the Space Launch System core stage.
Fueling the big SLS rocket began at 1.14am EDT Monday, according to Nasa commentary on the launch, and after those tanking operations were complete, ground crews began testing engines and found engine three was not responding as necessary for launch. This particuarly negine response was something Nasa ground teams had hoped to test during the multiple “wet dress rehearsals” Nasa conducted over the spring and summer, but were kept from completing due to a hydrogen fuel leak that took precedence.
Nasa updates on unplanned launch hold
An unplanned hold on the Artemis I countdown expected to last 10 minutes has now stretched on to about 40 minutes. The most recent updates from Nasa however, suggest the space agency is not scrubbing the launch.
Commentary on Nasa’s live coverage of the launch suggest that launch director Charlie Blackwell Thompson and her team of engineers are still discussing a problem with the SLS rocket’s engine 3. The team is waiting on some modeling data it help them develop a plan to trouble shoot the engine problem and hopefully move forward with the countdown.
Nasa updates blog on Artemis I countdown delay
The countdown to launch the Artemis I mission is in a delay while engineers work to fix an engine problem with the SLS rocket’s core stage. Nasa, meanwhile, has posted a very brief blog post about the situation:
“Teams are in a hold in the countdown at T-40 minutes while engineers evaluate why the bleed test to condition the engines was not successful,” the blog post reads. “Engineers are looking at options to gather as much data as possible. The Artemis I rocket and spacecraft are in a stable, safe condition.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, arrived at Kennedy Space Center by aircraft around 8.30am EDT. The two-hour Artemis launch window opens at 8.33am EDT.
Nasa scrubbs launch
Nasa has scrubbed the Artemis I launch as of 8.36am Monday morning.
After launch scrub, Nasa turns to backup dates
Following a nearly hour long hold in the launch countdown, Nasa finally scrubbed the launch of the Artemis I mission schedule for Monday morning after an issue with one of the rocket’s main engines proved too difficult to solve on the launch pad.
While Nasa officials had expressed their hopes that Artemis I would launch Monday, the space agency has moved with cautious urgency throughout the testing and developing of the SLS rocket, up to and including back up launch dates for Artemis I. The next launch windows will open on 2 September and, if that window closes without a launch, 5 September.
Artemis 1 launch scrubbed
We’re going to have to wait until Friday at the earliest for the next launch attempt of Nasa’s Space Launch System.
“The launch of Artemis 1 is no longer happening today as teams work through an issue with an engine bleed,” the US space agency tweeted. “Teams will continue to gather data, and we will keep you posted on the timing of the next launch attempt.”
Artemis 1 launch
We’ve just heard from Nasa administrator Bill Nelson, who spoke about what went wrong with the Artemis 1 launch.
“We don’t launch until it’s right,” he said. “It’s just illustrative that this is a very complicated machine, a very complicated system, and all those things have to work. You don’t want to light the candle until it’s ready to go.”
He also revealed that US Vice President Kamala Harris was at the Kennedy Space Centre today for the failed launch attempt, who Mr Nelson described as “an enthusiastic space booster”.
Artemis 1 launch
Nasa will be holding a press conference in a few hours, where we should learn more details about what went wrong today.
We will also hopefully find out whether the US space agency plans to proceed with a launch when the next window opens on Friday.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates from the press conference as soon as it is live.
Artemis 1 launch
Why was the launch scrubbed and what happens next? Jon Kelvey answers both these questions in his latest report on the Artemis mission.
Why Nasa scrubbed Monday’s Moon rocket launch and what’s next
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
Nasa to hold press conference on scrubbed launch at 1pm EDT
Nasa officials will brief the press at 1 p.m. on what happened to cause the space agency to scrub the launch of the Artemis I mission that was originally scheduled for Monday morning.
Live coverage of the press conference will continue on this blog. You can watch the press conference live on Nasa’s website.
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