NASA prepares to roll back Artemis I as Ian approaches

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – NASA is foregoing Tuesday’s launch opportunity and preparing for rollback, while continuing to watch the weather forecast associated with Tropical Storm Ian.

During a meeting this morning, teams decided to stand down on preparing for the Tuesday launch date to allow them to configure systems for rolling back the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Engineers deferred a final decision about the roll to Sunday to allow for additional data gathering and analysis. If Artemis I managers elect to roll back, it would begin late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

The agency said it is taking a step-wise approach to its decision-making process to allow the agency to protect its employees and their families. This also allows NASA the option to press ahead with another launch opportunity in the current window if weather predictions improve.