NASA delays launch of Artemis I due to Tropical Storm Ian

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA has called off the launch of the Artemis I rocket scheduled for Sept. 27 due to Tropical Storm Ian, which is expected to hit Florida as a hurricane next week.

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During a meeting Saturday morning, teams at NASA decided to stand down on preparing for the Tuesday launch date and allow them to configure systems for rolling back the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

According to a news release, engineers delayed a final decision about the rollback to Sunday to allow for additional data gathering and analysis.

Read: Tropical Storm Ian gains strength as it heads towards Central Florida

Artemis’ rollback would begin late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Read: Timeline for Tropical Depression 9: Here’s what to expect

NASA continues to gather the most up-to-date information provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Space Force, and the National Hurricane Center.

Read: Mostly dry weekend across Central Florida, high risk of rips currents at beaches

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