The launch would kick off a long-delayed flight to boost an unpiloted Orion crew capsule around the moon and back.
since the vehicle was rolled out to launch pad 39B for the first time last March, more than 240 days ago.
Surprisingly, perhaps, the SLS rocket and launch pad suffered no major damage. But engineers discovered a 10-foot section of RTV insulation covering an indentation between the Orion crew capsule and the base of its protective nose cone had delaminated and pulled away in smaller pieces in the high winds.
"The concern with RTV is that we could have a small piece or a large piece come off, it could hit the right place in the airflow and come down and strike the vehicle and cause damage," Jim Free, NASA's director of exploration systems, told CBS News in an interview. The concern was similar in some regards to discussions that preceded the shuttle Columbia's launch in 2003, when a large piece of foam insulation came off its external tank and fatally damaged the orbiter's left wing. In that case, the pre-flight analysis did not adequately assess the risk with catastrophic results.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NASA managers review readiness for Artemis moon rocket launch on WednesdayEngineers made final preparations Sunday for the overnight start of another countdown to launch for NASA's leak-bedeviled Artemis moon rocket, setting the stage for a third attempt Wednesday.
Read more »
NASA sets sights on return to moon: Here's how to watch the Artemis launchThe Artemis I mission is set to launch this week. Here's how to watch the Artemis I...
Read more »
NASA Artemis moon rocket launch countdown beginsNASA crews hope to move forward with the launch of its moon rocket Artemis I, scheduled to lift off on Wednesday morning, after sustaining damage during Hurricane Nicole.
Read more »
This Week @NASA: Artemis I Moon Rocket Move, Total Lunar Eclipse, JPSS-2 Satellite LaunchThe move to the launch pad for Artemis I … A visual treat in the sky … And a NASA tech demo hitches a ride to space … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! https://youtu.be/gyjUJHhTa0A Artemis I Moon Rocket and Spacecraft Arrive at Launch Pad Teams at NASA’s Ken
Read more »
Countdown Underway For NASA Artemis Rocket Launch | The Weather ChannelNASA is proceeding with plans to launch its Artemis moon rocket early Wednesday morning from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, but engineers are still reviewing damage from Hurricane Nicole. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com
Read more »