The first flight of NASA’s next big rocket, the Space Launch System, likely won’t launch until June 2020, though it’s now officially scheduled to get off the ground sometime in December 2019, according to the space agency.
The new official date marks a one-year delay for the monster vehicle that’s meant to take astronauts into deep space.
These new dates are the result of a “comprehensive review” by NASA looking into the rocket’s schedule. Ultimately, the review found that a launch in June 2020 would be more reasonable, based on risks that might arise during manufacturing and production schedules. But NASA is working toward a December 2019 date, since none of the risks the agency identified have arisen yet, according to NASA acting administrator Robert Lightfoot.
The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!