NASA Shuts Hatch on Rocket Launching to the Moon

All over again, it's the same thing.

Teams have closed the hatch of NASA's Orion capsule, which is sitting on top of the SLS moon rocket, waiting for a Wednesday launch. The first attempt by the agency was canceled due to a hydrogen leak.

The uncrewed rocket was declared "go" for launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday despite Hurricane Nicole causing a ten foot piece of insulation to peel off the base of the capsule.

It has been a long time since the launch. It is the third attempt by NASA to get the rocket off the ground.

The launch window is open for two hours. The official livestream can be followed here.

Around the Moon

If everything goes according to plan, the SLS rocket will propel the capsule into space, where it will travel around the moon and back. While the spaceship will be uncrewed, it will have a suite of sensors that will measure how much radiation astronauts will be exposed to.

There is more to Artemis 1 than meets the eye. Within the next decade, future missions will see astronauts attempt to touch down on the surface of the moon.

There is a lot at stake. Over the last ten years, the rocket cost over $10 billion.

We wouldn't want to be in NASA's shoes, so we're watching and hoping that tonight's launch will be a success.

NASA says Hurricane Nicole ripped off part of its huge moon rocket.