NASA to attempt Artemis 1 moon launch again Saturday

USING THE PLANT AS A PAWN IN THE FIGHTING. >>> NASA IS GEARING UP FOR ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO LAUNCH THE MEGA MOON ROCKET SATURDAY. ARTEMIS ONE IS SET TO LIFT TOMORROW AFTERNOON AFTER THE ORIGINAL WAS DELAYED. THE MISSION WAS SCRUBBED MONDAY DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUES. NASA SAYS THE PROBLEM WAS VERY SOLVED AND ALL SYSTEMS ARE GO FOR THE HISTORIC FLIGHT. JOINING US NOW CBS SPACE CONSULTANT BILL HARDWOOD. ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU. IT’S BEEN A BUSY WEEK FOR YOU. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS. IS NASA TAKING ON MORE RISKS WITH THIS SEXED ATTEMPT TO LAUNCH ARTEMIS ONE.

>> >> I DON’T THINK SO. THE ENGINEERS SAY THEY ANALYZED ALL THIS IN ENORMOUS DETAIL. THE ISSUE WAS COOLING OF ISSUES. THERE WAS A SENSOR THAT WAS SUSPECT. THAT THINK THIS WAS A BAD, FAULTY SENSORS. THEY’RE GOING TO IGNORE THAT. THEY HAVE OTHER SYSTEMS THAT CAN CONFIRM THE TEMPERATURES ARE GETTING TO WHERE THEY WANT. THEY’RE QUITE CONFIDENT THEY’VE GOT THIS FIGURED OUT AND WILL BE OKAY TO PRESS THROUGH THE COUNT DOWN TOMORROW. OBVIOUSLY WE’LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW THAT GOES. THEY’RE CONFIDENT. >> I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS. WE LEARNED ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.

THIS IS ROCKET SCIENCE AFTER ALL. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THE LAUNCH IS SUN SUCCESSFUL TOMORROW? >> WELL, REALLY DEPENDS ON A COUPLE THINGS. IF THEY FUEL UP THE ROCKETS, LOAD IT WITH A 750,000 GALLONS OF PROPELLED LIQUID OXYGEN AND

HYDROGEN. THEIR RECYCLE OPTIONS ARE MORE LIMITED THAN IF THEY DON’T LOAD IT WITH FUEL. IF THEY DON’T LOAD IT BECAUSE THE WEATHER IS BAD OR SOME OTHER PROBLEM COMES UP, THEY HAVE A SHOT LAUNCHING ON SUNDAY. IF THEY PUT THE FUEL IN THE TANK, THEY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE THAT LONG TO

REPLENISH THE LIQUID HYDROGEN SUPPLIES AT THE LAUNCH PAD TO GAS IT UP FOR ANOTHER ATTEMPT. TOMORROW IS THEIR BEST SHOT AT IT. MONDAY WOULD BE THE BEST BACK- UP. IN THEORY, THEY COULD LAUNCH SUNDAY DEPENDING HOW IT PLAYS OUT. IT’S ALL SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD. >> UNTIL THE WEATHER HITS. IF ALL GOES WELL, AND HOPEFULLY IT DOES, WHAT’S THE LONG TERM GOAL FOR THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD? >> WELL, YOU KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST TEST FLIGHT OF THIS GIANT SLS ROCKET, THE MOST POWERFUL EVER BUILT. 8MILLION POUNDS THRUST AT LIFTOFF. THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE

THE ROCKET IS WORKING WELL BEFORE YOU PUT PEOPLE ON BOARD. THIS IS GOING TO SEND AN ORION CREW CAPSULE, SAME THAT WILL SEND ASTRONAUTS, ON AN ORBIT AROUND AROUND THE MOON. IT WILL HEAT UP TO 5,000 DEGREES. THEY WANT 20 MAKE SURE THAT ALL WORKS. IF IT DOES, THEY PLAN TO LAUNCH FOUR ASTRONAUTS ABOARD THE SPACECRAFT IN 204. THEY’LL SIMPLY LOOP AROUND THE MOON AND COME BACK TO EARTH. THEN AND THIS IS AMBITIOUS. THEY’RE HOPING TO LAUNCH ASTRONAUTS BACK TO THE MOON IN 2025 OR TO ACTUALLY LAND. THAT WILL BE, AS THEY SAY, THE FIRST

WOMAN AND NEXT MAN TO WALK ON THE MOON. GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THEY CAN ACTUALLY MAKE THOSE TARGETS. THEY’VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. THAT’S IT HAS PLAN. >> IT ALL STARTS TOMORROW. BILL, THANKS SO