As the launch date for NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission continues to get pushed back due to glitches and storms, a deadline for its solid rocket boosters is quickly approaching.

The launch of Artemis 1 — which will use a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, aided by two boosters, to send an uncrewed Orion capsule to the moon — was once again delayed, this time until no earlier than Wednesday (Nov. 16) due to the impending arrival of Tropical Storm Nicole on Florida's Space Coast. Satellite images show Nicole currently looming in the Atlantic Ocean next to NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), generating wind speeds up to 70 mph (110 kph) as it closes in on the center's Launch Pad 39B, where the Artemis 1 stack sits, ready to ride out the storm.

Now that the Artemis 1 moon mission has been delayed once again, there are concerns that some of its hardware may expire prior to launch. For example, several key deadlines concerning the mission's two solid rocket boosters, built by Northrop Grumman, are approaching. If Artemis 1 has not launched by mid-December, NASA will have to analyze the boosters to see if they are still launch-worthy past their current expiration dates.