Cold temperatures and wind have forced NASA to push the wet dress rehearsal to Feb. 2 which in turn has pushed the Artemis 2 launch date to no earlier than (NET) Feb. 8.
In update from NASA this morning the agency said that “Managers have assessed hardware capabilities against the projected forecast given the rare arctic outbreak affecting the state and decided to change the timeline.”
“Teams and preparations at the launch pad remain ready for the wet dress rehearsal. However, adjusting the timeline for the test will position NASA for success during the rehearsal, as the expected weather this weekend would violate launch conditions.”
NASA add that the wet dress rehearsal will begin at 9 p.m. EST on Feb. 2 and that during the simulated launch window the countdown will begin approximately 49 hours prior.
NASA is continuing to monitor the weather and will make any further changes to the schedule if warranted.
NASA also said that “engineers have kept Orion powered and have configured its heaters for the colder temperatures. Purges, used to maintain proper environmental conditions for elements of the spacecraft and rocket, including the booster aft skirts, are also configured for the weather.”
Should the launch happen on Feb. 8 the launch window opens at 11:20 p.m. EST for 120 minutes.