NASA scrubbed the test flight on Monday of its giant Moon rocket because of a temperature issue with one of the four RS-25 engines.
Alternative dates for launch of the Artemis 1 mission, an uncrewed flight around the Moon as part of an ambitious program to eventually go to Mars, are September 2 and September 5.
The launch of #Artemis I is no longer happening today as teams work through an issue with an engine bleed. Teams will continue to gather data, and we will keep you posted on the timing of the next launch attempt. https://t.co/tQ0lp6Ruhvpic.twitter.com/u6Uiim2mom
— NASA (@NASA) August 29, 2022
Tens of thousands of people — including US Vice President Kamala Harris — had gathered along the beach near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the launch. The mission is taking place 50 years after Apollo 17 astronauts last set foot on the Moon.
The goal of the flight, dubbed Artemis 1, is to test the SLS and the Orion crew capsule that sits atop the rocket. Mannequins equipped with sensors are standing in for a crew for the mission.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)