By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Author
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s moon rocket is back on the pad for one more launch attempt, following more repairs.
The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket departed its hangar in the course of the night and accomplished the 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) trip shortly after sunrise Friday.
NASA is aiming for a launch attempt on Nov. 14, sending an empty crew capsule across the moon and back in a dramatic flight test before astronauts climb aboard in a pair years.
Forecasters are keeping their eyes on potential tropical weather that would interfere.
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It’s NASA’s biggest step yet to get astronauts back on the moon by 2025. The space agency is nearing the fiftieth anniversary of its last human moon landing: Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Although shorter, this early version of the rocket is much more powerful than the Saturn V that sent Apollo astronauts to the moon.
Fuel leaks have kept the rocket grounded since August. Then Hurricane Ian forced the rocket back to the hangar at Kennedy Space Center at the top of September. NASA used the time to make repairs and replace critical batteries.
NASA still doesn’t know why hydrogen keeps leaking each time the rocket is fueled, but engineers are confident they’ll manage any future leaks, said Cliff Lanham, a senior manager.
Liftoff can be within the wee hours for the subsequent three launch opportunities. While NASA prefers a daytime launch for test flights to capture as many pictures as possible, it isn’t a requirement. Radar and infrared cameras should provide ample coverage, said Jim Free, a NASA associate administrator.
The $4.1 billion mission will last near a month, culminating with a splashdown within the Pacific. Test dummies are on board to measure radiation and vibrations.
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