Artemis 1 launch: NASA aims to launch new moon rocket on Saturday: Where to watch this event?

Washington, Aug 31: NASA will try again on Saturday to launch Artemis I mission to the moon rocket on a test flight, after engine trouble halted the first countdown this week. Managers said that they are changing fueling procedures to deal with the issue. The 322-foot (98-meter) rocket remains on its pad at Kennedy Space Center, with an empty crew capsule on top. It's the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA.

The Space Launch System rocket, or SLS, will attempt to send the capsule around the moon and back. No one will be aboard, just three test dummies. If successful, it will be the first capsule to fly to the moon since NASA's Apollo program 50 years ago.

During Monday's launch attempt, one of the four main engines in the rocket's core stage could not be chilled sufficiently prior to planned ignition moments before liftoff. The three others came up just a little short. The chilling operation will be conducted a half-hour earlier for Saturday afternoon's try, once fueling is underway at the pad, officials said. John Honeycutt, NASA's program manager for the rocket, told reporters that the timing of this engine chilldown was earlier during successful testing last year, and so moving it sooner may do the trick.

Honeycutt also questioned the integrity of one engine sensor, saying it might have provided inaccurate data Monday. To change that sensor, he noted, would mean hauling the rocket back into the hangar, which would mean weeks of delay.

The $4.1 billion test flight is the opening shot in NASA's Artemis moon-exploration program, named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology. Astronauts could strap in as soon as 2024 for a lap around the moon and actually attempt a lunar landing in 2025.

Where to watch Artemis-1 launch to the moon?

You can track all the development related to the maiden launch of NASA's Artemis project on the official website of the US space agency or its social media handles. Several online options like NASA TV, NASA official YouTube channel are available for space fans to watch the Artemis 1 launch live event. The live coverage will begin at 6:33 PM (IST) One can watch on any of the following feeds:

• NASA's YouTube channel
• The NASA app
• NASA's Website
• The KSC YouTube channel

What's the goal of the Artemis project?

The mission is a first step toward Artemis 3, which is going to result in the first human missions to the Moon in the 21st century and the first since 1972.

Artemis 1 is an uncrewed test flight.

Its primary goal is to thoroughly test the integrated systems before crewed missions by operating the spacecraft in a deep space environment, testing Orion's heat shield, and recovering the crew module after reentry, descent, and splashdown.

Artemis I will be the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to build a long-term human presence at the Moon for decades to come. The primary goals for Artemis I are to demonstrate Orion's systems in a spaceflight environment and ensure a safe re-entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II.