First NASA Artemis Moon Mission Delayed

Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are blaming the delay on a malfunctioning engine flight controller on one of the space launch system (SLS) core stage engines.

Thom Patterson

Tuesday, December 21, 2021 at 06:14 PM ET

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NASA found a problem with a flight controller in engine four of the SLS rocket. [Credit: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

The launch of NASA's Artemis I mission, an uncrewed test flight to the moon, has been delayed to March 2022 at the earliest.
The delay is attributed to a malfunctioning engine flight controller on one of the Space Launch System (SLS) core stage engines, discovered during integrated testing.
Artemis I will utilize the powerful SLS rocket and Orion capsule for its journey to orbit the moon and return to Earth.
This mission is a foundational step in NASA's larger Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon and establish long-term lunar exploration in preparation for missions to Mars.

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The launch of Artemis I, NASA’s historic next mission to the moon, has been pushed back to March 2022 at the earliest.

Engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida are blaming the delay on a malfunctioning engine flight controller on one of the space launch system (SLS) core stage engines. Each of the controllers acts as a kind of “brain” that communicates with SLS to precisely control the engine and provide diagnostic data.

SLS, the world’s most powerful rocket, is designed to send Orion, astronauts, and supplies to the moon in a single mission.