The first steps to return man to the moon have been put on hold after the launch of NASA’s first Artemis mission was called off mid-countdown.

A 98-metre Space Launch System rocket was set to lift off overnight with three dummies aboard but an “engine bleed” threw a spanner in the works.

NASA said the rocket’s engine “didn’t get the high accuracy temperature that they were looking for”, an issue teams couldn’t remedy at the time.

The launch of #Artemis I is no longer happening today as teams work through an issue with an engine bleed. Teams will continue to gather data, and we will keep you posted on the timing of the next launch attempt. https://t.co/tQ0lp6Ruhv pic.twitter.com/u6Uiim2mom

— NASA (@NASA) August 29, 2022

But it could be up to a few weeks before the rocket launch can go ahead, astrophysicist Brad Tucker told Laurel, Gary and Mark.

“It could be an actual physical problem to some degree with the engine,” he said.

“That means they’d have to take the rocket back to essentially the building where they house it, fix it and update it.

“That will mean a massive delay, weeks’ delay because it takes a couple of days to move this rocket back and forth alone.”

Press PLAY below to hear Brad Tucker explain what went wrong

Image: NASA