SPACE CADETS / IN LIEU OF HISTORY

AWESOME. This view of the crescent Earth over the Moon's horizon was taken during the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. 

Today the much-anticipated launch of the unmanned Artemis I rocket system to the moon was scrubbed. Mort? No, more of an abientot. Why? It will be on all the news. 

Instead, here is a glimpse from the Apollo 15 mission, a tangent in time worth revisiting. Success never grows old. 

From NASA: Apollo 15 launched from the Kennedy Space Center on July 26, 1971 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. Aboard was a crew of three astronauts: David R. Scott, mission commander; James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot; and Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot. 

Designed to explore the Moon over longer periods, greater ranges, and with more instruments for the collection of scientific data than before, Apollo 15 included the introduction of a $40 million lunar roving vehicle (LRV) that reached a top speed of 16 kph (10 mph) across the Moon's surface. 

The successful Apollo 15 lunar landing mission was the first in a series of three advanced missions planned for the Apollo program. The primary scientific objectives were to observe the lunar surface, survey and sample material and surface features in a preselected area of the Hadley-Apennine region, setup and activate surface experiments, and conduct in-flight experiments and photographic tasks from lunar orbit. 

Apollo 15 televised the first lunar liftoff and recorded a walk in nearby deep space by Worden. Both the Saturn V rocket and the LRV were developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center—Edited by NASA’s Monika Luabeya. 

REMARKABLE. Apollo 15 Commander David Scott drives the lunar roving vehicle on the surface of the Moon, the first time the rover was used. Apollo 15 launched on July 26 and landed on the lunar surface 50 years ago on July 30, 1971. During the mission, Scott and lunar module pilot James Irwin collected 170 pounds of lunar material during their more than 18 hours on the Moon's surface—By NASA’s Yvette Smith. 

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO ARTEMIS I ON AUG. 29, 2022:

From CNN: What we know so far Artemis I mega rocket's launch has been postponed after the launch team discovered an issue with an engine bleed in one of the rocket's four engines. The next launch opportunity is on Friday, but whether or not another attempt is made then depends on how testing goes. Artemis I was scheduled to launch on a mission today to go beyond the moon and return to Earth. The aim of NASA's Artemis program is to return humans to the moon for the first time since 1972.