Artemis I rocket received only minimal damage from Hurricane Nicole, NASA says

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- NASA said Friday it would proceed with the Artemis I launch after inspections showed minimal damage to the rocket from Hurricane Nicole.

The Artemis I mission launch is still scheduled for Nov. 16, after it was delayed due to the Hurricane.

"There's nothing preventing us from getting to the 16th," Jim Free, an associate administrator, told reporters during a Friday news conference.

NASA was put in a tough spot after the rocket was rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building last week. Free said that in hindsight NASA would have preferred to keep the rocket in the VAB, but after it was already rolled out, the less risky decision was to keep it on the pad.

The rocket is designed to be able to withstand heavy rains and 85 mph winds. Peak winds were 81 mph at 60 feet, but lightning tower sensors recorded gusts as high as 100 mph 457 feet above ground.

The Artemis I launch delay is the latest in a series of launch dates that have been scrubbed for that mission. It is to be the Artemis spacecraft's maiden voyage to the moon.

The tentative plan now is to launch Artemis I within a two-hour window that opens at 1:04 a.m. EST Nov. 16.