Nasa skipping Tuesday launch attempt for new moon rocket

Nasa is skipping Tuesday s launch attempt of its new moon rocket due to concerns about a tropical storm headed for Florida that could become a major hurricane.

It is the third delay in the past month for the lunar-orbiting test flight with mannequins but no astronauts, a follow-up to Nasa's Apollo moon-landing program of a half-century ago.

The previous scrubs were caused by hydrogen fuel leaks and other technical issues.

Tropical storm Ian is expected to become a hurricane by Monday and slam into Florida's Gulf Coast by Thursday.

The entire state is in the cone showing the probable path of the storm's center, including Nasa's Kennedy Space Center.

Given the forecast uncertainties, Nasa decided on Saturday to forgo Tuesday's planned launch attempt and prepare the 322 foot 98 meter rocket for a possible return to its hangar. It will be up to managers to decide on Sunday whether to haul it off the launch pad.

Nasa could try for a 2 October launch attempt if the rocket remains at the pad, the last opportunity before a two-week blackout period. A rollback early on Sunday or early on Monday would result in a long delay for the test flight, possibly pushing it into November.

Artemis I, the uncrewed test flight, marks the beginning of a major turning point for Nasa's post-Apollo human spaceflight program, after decades focused on low-Earth orbit with space shuttles and the International Space Station.

Artemis will be heading to the moon as a stepping stone for a future flight to Mars, named after the goddess who was Apollo's twin sister in ancient Greek mythology. The Space Launch System rocket is the most powerful weapon ever built by Nasa.

Assuming its first test flight goes well, astronauts would climb aboard for the next mission in 2024, leading to a two-person moon landing in 2025.