NASA delays critical Artemis 2 rocket fueling test
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NASA on Friday pushed back the earliest date that astronauts could fly to the Moon, due to forecasts of freezing temperatures at the Florida launch site. Florida is not immune: the normally sunny state could experience its lowest temperatures in decades that are forecast to hover around freezing.
The Artemis II mission will set several notable human spaceflight records. Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will travel farther from Earth than any human in history. They won’t land. That distinction will fall to the next mission in line in NASA’s Artemis program.
Systems and procedures are tested including loading the rocket with 700,000 gallons of super-cold fuels.
Another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is due to launch on the West Coast. Californians have plenty of ways to watch liftoff, including a livestream.