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NASA announces new targeted launch date for Artemis I

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Update: NASA officials announced Tuesday they are now targeting a Saturday launch of Artemis I after Monday’s scrubbed attempt.

The two-hour window opens at 2:17 p.m.

Crews will review the launch and its readiness again on Thursday, NASA said.

Read our previous story below:

NASA managers are meeting and evaluating the data from Monday’s Artemis 1 launch attempt.

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The mission was scrubbed when teams couldn’t get the rocket’s engines to the proper temperature for liftoff.

It’s still unclear when NASA will make its next launch attempt – it depends on how quickly teams can determine why one of the rocket’s four main engines didn’t respond as did the others, and what can be done to fix it.

TIMELINE: NASA scrubs launch of Artemis I due to technical issues with engine

NASA has two backup windows: Friday and Labor Day.

NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft remain on the pad a day after the agency scrubbed the first launch attempt. The SLS rocket’s four RS-25 engines must be thermally conditioned before super-cold propellent begins flowing through them for liftoff. On Monday, there was an issue with engine 3.

READ: Artemis 1 launch scrubbed: What happens next for NASA’s moon rocket

It’s not immediately clear if it’s a problem that can be addressed on the pad, or if the rocket will have to be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building.

If NASA’s uncrewed mission around the moon doesn’t launch by Sept. 6, the next launch opportunities are between Sept. 19 and Oct. 4.

Watch: TIMELINE: NASA scrubs launch of Artemis I due to technical issues with engine

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.