Washington: The sudden severe cold in America has created trouble for the American space agency NASA. NASA has had to delay preparations for its very important Artemis-II mission. Due to the unusual Arctic cold in Florida, NASA has not only postponed a major pre-launch test, but the possible launch date of this historic human mission to the Moon has also been pushed back. These days, it is extremely cold and strong winds are blowing on the Space Coast of Florida. Areas like Kennedy Space Center usually have mild weather, but this time the temperature reached near freezing point. In such circumstances, NASA engineers gave priority to the safety of the mission hardware.

What was the problem with the cold?

According to NASA, extremely cold weather can become a threat to the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft. These systems are sensitive to extreme cold. For this reason, the teams had to install special heaters and environmental control systems, so that the spacecraft was not damaged.

Why was the test postponed?

NASA has postponed the ‘wet dress rehearsal’ due to weather. This test is considered the most important step before launch, in which more than 7 lakh gallons of cryogenic fuel is filled in the rocket. Doing so in cold weather would have been against safety regulations, putting both equipment and staff at risk. Now there is a plan to conduct this test on 2nd February. This is a full rehearsal for launch day and is considered the last major technical checkpoint before a manned mission.

What was the impact on the launch date?

Due to this delay, the previously fixed launch window of 6th and 7th February is no longer possible. NASA says that if the test is completed without any problems, February 8 could be the earliest possible launch date for Artemis-II.

Why is Artemis-II mission special?

Through the Artemis-II mission, humans will return to the Moon’s orbit again after more than 50 years. In this mission, four astronauts – Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen – will fly around the Moon, although they will not land on the lunar surface.