NASA’s Artemis 1 Moon Launch is Postponed Due to Technical Issues

NASA's Artemis 1 mission launch was called off Monday morning due to technical issues, delaying liftoff of a new unmanned mission into space for a journey around the moon.

NASA engineers were working to resolve a number of issues with the rocket Monday morning, which started when offshore storms delayed the start of the fueling process by an hour, TODAY's Tom Costello reported.

Once fueling began, teams stopped filling the rocket with liquid hydrogen twice due to leaks and pressure spikes, and crews also discovered a malfunctioning bleed line in one of the rocket’s engines.

The countdown clock was put on hold Monday morning as crews worked on an issue with engine number three and discussed plans with the launch director, according to NASA. NASA ultimately made the decision to delay the launch around 8:40 a.m.

NASA must determine if it can resolve the engine issues on the launch pad, or if the rocket will need to be brought back into the vehicle assembly building for repairs, Costello reported, which will determine the next launch date.

The next launch windows are scheduled for Sept. 2 and Sept. 5.

Artemis 1 kicks off a series of NASA missions to return to the moon's surface, and is the debut launch of NASA's most powerful rocket.

While Artemis 1 won't land on the moon itself, it is the first launch in NASA's Artemis lunar program, which intends to put astronauts on the moon again by 2025.

"This is the first step in getting us off the planet, to another place — the moon, Mars and other places — this is the first step to doing that," former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino told TODAY. "This is the first day, not only to explore the moon, but also to explore the rest of our solar system."

The Artemis 1 mission goal is to put the uncrewed Orion capsule into orbit around the moon for 42 days, setting the stage for astronauts to go into orbit by 2024. Eventually, a new space station will also orbit the moon, allowing astronauts to spend nearly a week on a moon base.

"We are ready for this next step, to not just visit the moon and go on to Mars, but actually to stay to do science and to learn and learn about the solar system and learn about ourselves," Pam Melroy, NASA's deputy administrator, told TODAY.

The Artemis rocket is nearly double the height of a space shuttle and tank, clocking in at 322-feet on the launch pad. But Rick LaBrode, Artemis lead flight director, told TODAY the rocket uses the same flight trajectories as the Apollo missions.

"They figured it all out back in that day in the Apollo days," LaBrode said. "The trajectories that we’re using to get to the moon and back — identical, they’re the same trajectories."

NASA's road to launch has been delayed for years and has gone billions of dollars over budget, CNBC reports. Officials estimated in 2012 the Space Launch System rocket would cost about $6 billion to develop and debut in 2017. Now making its debut in 2022, the program has cost more than $20 billion.

The missions could cost even more, as NASA wants to have astronauts on the moon by 2025, but he agency has admitted it is an ambitious schedule and that 2026 may be more likely for the landing. NASA has also said a woman and a person of color will be among the crew members who will return to the lunar surface.