CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is weighing the risk of adding astronauts to the first flight of its new megarocket.
NASA's human exploration chief said Friday that his boss and the Trump administration requested the feasibility study.
The Space Launch System will be the most powerful rocket ever built when it flies. It's intended for moon and Mars travel.
NASA is shooting for an unmanned test flight in late 2018. Putting people on board would delay the mission and require extra money.
The space agency's William Gerstenmaier says if adding astronauts to the first flight means delaying beyond 2019, it would probably be better to just stick with the original plan.
NASA expects to issue its report in about a month.