NASA has canceled the launch of the Artemis I mission, the first step in its ambitious return-to-the-moon program, which was scheduled for Monday morning.
A problem with a hydrogen line in the number 3 center stage engine caused a pause in the countdown 40 minutes before launch
After evaluation by the engineering teams, the launch was suspended due to the need for a more detailed analysis of the failure and elaboration of a plan for solution.
According to the US space agency, launch controllers were evaluating why a "bleed test" to bring one of the RS-25 engines to the proper temperature for launch had failed
This test was one of those scheduled for a " wet test ", basically a launch simulation, which took place in June
During the rehearsal, which was stopped 29 seconds before "launch", 90% of the set goals were completed, but the bleed test was not one of them.
On Saturday (27) a storm caused concern when five lightning struck the protection towers around the rocket
However, they were not intense enough to require a new inspection. "Clearly, the system worked as designed," said Jeff Spaulding, NASA's senior director of tests