NASA fueling moon rocket for launch after leaks, hurricanes

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is fueling its new moon rocket for a middle-of-the-night launch. It’s the space agency’s third try to put an empty capsule around the moon for the first time in 50 years. Fuel leaks plagued the first two attempts, then a pair of hurricanes caused more delays. NASA never pinpointed the cause of the escaping hydrogen, but altered the fueling process to minimize leakage. It seemed to work Tuesday evening, with no major leakages reported during the first few hours of the operation. The 322-foot rocket is poised to blast off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in the wee hours of Wednesday.