NASA’s Artemis 1 moon mission: Live updates

Artemis 1 rollout delayed, NASA says

NASA’s first Artemis moon mission will launch a little later than expected.

Today (Feb. 2), NASA announced that the rollout of its Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and Orion capsule will be pushed from February to March, though the agency has yet to announce an exact date. 

“Ultimately, we’re going to launch this flight hardware when the flight hardware is ready and when the team’s ready,” Mike Bolger, the program manager of exploration ground systems at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, told Space.com during a news conference held today.

While the exact rollout date and new launch date have not yet been announced, Mike Sarafin, the Artemis 1 mission manager at NASA Headquarters, said during the news conference that if the launch is pushed to April or May, a launch window would extend from April 8 to April 23; another would open May 7 and close May 21.

Learn more at Space.com here.

Artemis 1 status briefing starts soon

NASA officials are holding a news conference today (Feb. 2) at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT) to discuss the delayed rollout of the SLS rocket. You can listen to the teleconference live in the window above, courtesy of NASA. 

“While the teams are not working any major issues, NASA has added additional time to complete closeout activities inside the VAB [Vehicle Assembly Building] prior to rolling the rocket out for the first time,” agency officials wrote in a statement.

Full story: NASA delays rollout of Artemis 1 moon mission’s SLS megarocket until March. Hear why today.