Nasa forced to delay its journey back to the Moon again

Nasa has delayed nan day of its first travel backmost to nan Moon erstwhile again.

The Artemis II ngo was initially planned to motorboat arsenic soon arsenic 2019. But it has gone thorough a number of delays successful nan clip since, arsenic a consequence of issues pinch nan spacecraft that will transportation nan astronauts astir nan Moon and past backmost to Earth.

In caller weeks, nan latest of those issues appeared to person been resolved, and nan latest day for nan Artemis ngo was group astatine nan opening of March. But now yet much delays are required and nan ngo will not motorboat until April astatine nan earliest.

The elephantine satellite rocket had been wheeled retired to its launchpad and successfully went done a “wet dress rehearsal” that saw it filled pinch substance and spell done a believe of its countdown.

Now, however, nan abstraction agency will beryllium forced to instrumentality nan rocket backmost to its hangar. That four-mile travel is expected to return spot connected Tuesday, arsenic agelong arsenic nan upwind allows.

The latest problem was related to nan rocket’s helium system, engineers said. Helium is required to purge nan engines and support nan substance tanks astatine nan correct unit to guarantee that nan rocket tin safely return off.

"Returning to nan Vehicle Assembly Building astatine Kennedy is required to find nan origin of nan rumor and hole it," Nasa said successful a statement.

A erstwhile effort to trial nan rocket had revealed vulnerable hydrogen substance leaks. But, aft that discovery, engineers replaced cardinal parts and those problems appeared to beryllium nether control, starring nan squad to group nan 6 March motorboat date.

That successful itself was already a period later than nan astir caller plans.

Nasa said that rolling nan rocket backmost quickly should limit nan hold required. But it said that gathering its caller timing of April will dangle connected nan occurrence of its repairs.

The 3 American astronauts and 1 Canadian workfellow were placed into quarantine up of nan early March motorboat day and stay connected standby astatine Nasa’s accommodation successful Houston, Nasa said.

When nan ngo does yet return off, nan squad of 4 will beryllium nan first group to alert to nan Moon since Nasa’s Apollo programme, nan past formation of which saw group onshore connected nan Moon successful 1972. This clip around, nan unit will only alert astir nan acold broadside of nan Moon, but they dream it will beryllium followed by a travel that will let astronauts to group ft connected nan lunar aboveground erstwhile again.