WASHINGTON — NASA has postponed its upcoming crewed Artemis mission to the moon, citing near-freezing temperatures at the launch site. The first Artemis lunar flight with astronauts is now scheduled for no earlier than Feb. 8, two days later than originally planned.
The agency had planned a fueling test of the 322-foot (98-meter) moon rocket on Saturday but canceled it Thursday due to the expected cold. The fueling is now set for Feb. 2, with a critical dress rehearsal for the crew-targeted launch scheduled for Feb. 5, weather permitting. NASA warned that any further delays would push the mission day-for-day into March.
Officials said heaters are maintaining proper temperatures inside the Orion capsule atop the rocket, while the rocket’s purging systems are being adapted for cold conditions. Commander Reid Wiseman and the three other astronauts remain in quarantine in Houston, and their arrival at Kennedy Space Center is still uncertain.
The Artemis mission marks NASA’s first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years, following the conclusion of the Apollo program with Apollo 17 in 1972.