Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Storm Ian delays launch of NASA's Artemis I Moon rocket

Storm Ian delays launch of NASA's Artemis I Moon rocket

The launch of NASA's most-powerful ever rocket has been delayed due to a tropical storm which could become a hurricane.
Artemis I Moon rocket was expected to launch from the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, on Tuesday.

But the US state faces a hurricane threat as tropical storm Ian has strengthened and could approach Florida early next week as a major hurricane.

The launch of the rocket had already been postponed twice.

The Space Launch System (SLS) vehicle is designed to send astronauts and their equipment back to the Moon after an absence of 50 years.

Its first launch failed at the end of August due to technical glitches, while a second attempt at the start of September was hampered by a fuel leak.

A decision on whether to return the rocket to its assembly site is due to be taken by the Artemis I team on Sunday.

This would be "to allow for additional data gathering and analysis", NASA said.

The space agency wants to send the unmanned capsule Orion around the back of the Moon, ahead of journeys with humans aboard. NASA hopes that by 2025 it will be able to send astronauts back to the lunar surface.

If the SLS will have to be shielded, it will miss the current launch window, which ends on Oct. 4.

Jim Free, associate administrator for the agency's exploration systems development directorate, said that a "step-wise approach" to the decision to roll back preserved a launch opportunity if conditions improved.

On Saturday, Ian strengthened as it moved over the Caribbean. Its projected path takes it just south of Jamaica, over western Cuba and into Florida, the hurricane center said.

Florida Keys and South Florida could be hit by heavy rains on Monday, according to forecasters.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
×