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NASA delays rolling out moon rocket, Orion spacecraft

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA is delaying the rollout of its powerful moon rocket and Orion spacecraft that was supposed to happen this month ahead of an uncrewed flight test.

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Both the Space Launch System rocket and the spacecraft are stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building and reach 322 feet tall. Officials said teams are not working any major issues on either the rocket or spacecraft but need time to make sure everything is right before rollout.

NASA told Channel 9 it will be mid-March before the moon rocket and Orion spacecraft roll out for a wet dress rehearsal ahead of Artemis I, an uncrewed flight test around the moon.

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“We just have a lot of things we need to close out,” said Tom Whitmeyer, NASA deputy administrator for Exploration Systems Development. “It’s a big vehicle, a lot of instrumentation that needs to be finished and prepared for the final close-out activity.”

That’s when teams will be ready for the wet dress, the final major test ahead of launch. It will run the rocket and launch teams through operations to load propellant into the fuel tanks and conduct a full launch countdown.

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If all goes well, NASA will roll SLS and Orion back to the VAB for final checks and set a launch date.

The agency is already considering dates in April and May.

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.