Nasa is skipping next week's launch attempt of its new moon rocket because of a tropical storm that's expected to become a major hurricane.
It's the third delay in the past month for the lunar-orbiting test flight featuring mannequins but no astronauts, a follow-up to Nasa's Apollo moon-landing program of
a half-century ago. Hydrogen fuel leaks and other technical issues caused the previous scrubs.
Currently churning in the Caribbean, Tropical Storm Ian is expected to become a hurricane by Monday and slam into Florida's Gulf coast by Thursday. The entire state, however, is in the cone showing the probable path of the storm's centre — including Nasa's Kennedy Space Center.
Given the forecast uncertainties, Nasa decided on Saturday to forgo Tuesday's planned launch attempt and instead prepare the 98-metre rocket for a possible return to its hangar. Managers will decide on Sunday whether to haul it off the launch pad.
