NASA waves off Artemis I launch attempt, this time due to storm

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL (CNN) — The Artemis I rocket will not have its third launch attempt on Tuesday as planned due to concerns over Tropical Storm Ian making its way toward Cuba and Florida.

After meeting on Saturday morning, NASA’s Artemis team decided to forgo the September 27 launch opportunity and is now preparing the mega moon rocket stack for rollback.

“On Tuesday, Tropical Storm Ian is forecast to be moving north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane, just off the southwest coast of Florida. A cold front will also be draped across northern Florida pushing south,” said CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink.

“The combination of these weather factors will allow for increased rain chances across much of the Florida peninsula on Tuesday, including the Cape Canaveral area. Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to be numerous and widespread across the region. Tropical storm-force winds from Ian could also arrive as early as Tuesday night across central Florida.”

Meanwhile, the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft continues to sit on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA team members will meet Monday to determine when to roll the rocket stack back into the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy.

The agency said managers met Sunday evening to review information from the US Space Force, the National Hurricane Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and decided to allow for additional overnight data gathering before they make the call.

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