NASA starts countdown for delayed launch of moon rocket carrying Israeli experiment

NASA started the countdown Monday for this week’s planned liftoff of its new moon rocket, although hurricane damage could cause yet another delay for the test flight.

Hurricane Nicole’s high winds caused a 10-foot (3-meter) section of caulking to peel away near the crew capsule at the top of the rocket last Thursday. Mission managers want to make sure the narrow strip won’t damage the rocket if it breaks off during liftoff. A final decision was expected Monday evening.

Liftoff is scheduled for the early morning hours of Wednesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with test dummies rather than astronauts on board. It’s the first test flight for the 322-foot (98-meter) rocket, the most powerful ever built by NASA, and will attempt to send the capsule into lunar orbit.

The nearly monthlong $4 billion mission has been grounded since August by fuel leaks and Hurricane Ian, which forced the rocket back into its hangar for shelter at the end of September. The rocket remained at the pad for Nicole; managers said there wasn’t enough time to move it once it became clear the storm was going to be stronger than anticipated.

Also on board the flight are several dummies meant to test AstroRad, an anti-radiation suit developed by Israeli firm StemRad alongside Lockheed Martin, designed to protect vital organs from harmful gamma radiation.

Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report