Artemis 1 will eventually get off the ground. But the first two proposed launch dates had to be scrubbed (leaky valve and faulty sensor). Possible dates for the next attempt are September 27 and October 2.
Disappointment with SLS (Space Launch System), the biggest rocket ever, has been going on for years. The rocket originally was supposed to launch in 2016, six years ago. It got pretty close to finally launching at Kennedy Space Center last month and has been sitting there ever since while repairs are made.
The cost goes up with every delay, of course. Over 23 billion taxpayer dollars have gone into developing the SLS so far over the past ten years without success. Should we cut our horrifying losses and give the project to someone else?
Somebody in the U.S. Congress is surely asking this question: what if we commissioned SpaceX to build it?
(cont'd tomorrow)
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