NASA scrubs second launch for Artemis I moon mission

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- NASA scrubbed its second launch attempt of the Artemis I lunar mission on Saturday due to a leak issue.

Artemis I is the first integrated test of NASA's deep space exploration systems, involving the Orion spacecraft, a Space Launch System rocket and the ground systems at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The second launch attempt was set for 2:17 p.m. Eastern Day Time (1817 GMT) on Saturday, after the first attempt initially scheduled for Aug. 29 was called off due to an engine issue.

"During tanking of the Artemis I mission on Saturday morning, a leak developed in the supply side of the 8-inch (20.3 cm) quick disconnect while attempting to transfer fuel to the rocket," NASA tweeted.

"Teams attempted to fix an issue related to a leak in the hardware transferring fuel into the rocket, but were unsuccessful," it tweeted in another post.

The Artemis I flight test is an uncrewed mission around the Moon that will pave the way for a crewed flight test and future human lunar exploration as part of NASA's Artemis lunar program.