NASA postponed the launch of the Artemis 1 mission, an uncrewed flight around the Moon, which was scheduled to take off Monday from Florida after encountering a temperature issue with one of the four RS-25 engines.
The launch of the Artemis 1 mission might now happen either on Sept 2 or Sept 5.
“The launch of #Artemis I is no longer happening today as teams work through an issue with an engine bleed. Teams will continue to gather data, and we will keep you posted on the timing of the next launch attempt,” NASA tweeted.
Tens of thousands of people including US Vice President Kamala Harris had gathered along the beach near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the launch.
The mission will take place 50 years after Apollo 17 astronauts last set foot on the Moon.
The goal of Artemis 1 is to test the SLS and the Orion crew capsule that sits atop the rocket. Mannequins equipped with sensors will substitute for a crew in the mission.
