NASA's Space Launch System sits on Launch Pad 39B Aug. 30 at the Kennedy Space Center, ready to launch the Orion capsule on the Artemis 1 mission. So, We’re Going Back to the Moon?What is Artemis 1?
Each Artemis mission, at least early on, will cost about $4 billion. Critics point to the cost and delays. Advocates point to exciting new science, the possibility that humans can live on another world long-term and do so sustainably, as well as the likely inspiration that such a program provides humanity and industry. Oft-cited: The Apollo guidance computer was the first major miniaturization of computers — and all you have to do is pull out your smartphone to see where that led.
But the rocket didn’t launch. NASA managers briefed the press after an exhausting several hours, pointing to, including a lightning delay that set back fuel loading, a tetchy hydrogen leak, and a valve problem. The main showstopper was one of the core stage’s main engines not cooling to the temperature needed for a launch. Still, even if all that had been resolved, there were weather complications during the launch window that would have stalled the attempt.