The blast-off of the first US rocket in 50 years capable of carrying humans to the moon was called off on Monday morning after last-minute problems with an engine cooling system.
The 322ft-tall Space Launch System rocket had been due to lift off from launch pad 39B at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, the same site that witnessed the launch of Apollo 17, the last US mission to the moon.
The launch, set for 8.33am local time, was put on hold and then scrapped after Nasa assessed a number of last-minute problems, including with one of the hydrogen “bleed” lines used to cool the engines before ignition. Back-up launch windows are available for a second attempt on Friday, with a third launch option next Monday.