NASA has paused the wet dress rehearsal for the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket so the agency can make repairs. The process of launching the rocket for the Artemis 1 Moon Mission is complex and takes 48 hours to complete. This was the third attempt at completing the rehearsal of the steps before the official launch. Part of this process includes fueling the rocket. At about seven hours to launch, the team starts cooling the liquid hydrogen and begins the slow fill and then fast fill. Then, at about four hours, the team tests for leaks.
The space agency isn’t a stranger to delays. For example, the James Webb Space Telescope was delayed multiple times. The telescope was initially supposed to launch in 2007 but didn’t take off until 2021. It also suffered from delays that year but finally started its mission on Dec. 25, 2021. Then the opening of the telescope’s sun shield tensioning was also delayed. The process started three days after launch but didn’t finish until Jan. 4, 2022. Delays happen, but it's worth the wait for successful missions.
During the latest step of the wet dress rehearsal, NASA discovered a liquid hydrogen (LH2) leak. It had already uncovered a problem with the helium check valve a few days prior. The teams tried to complete the “interim cryogenic propulsion stage by chilling down the lines used to load propellant into the upper stage.” Unfortunately, they weren’t able to complete this stage because the prpellant didn’t flow because of the issue. NASA is moving the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center in Florida back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for the repairs. The agency is also reviewing “schedules and options to demonstrate propellant loading operations ahead of launch.”
What’s Next For The Artemis 1 Moon Mission?
NASA is holding a press teleconference on Monday, April 18, at 3 p.m. EST to discuss the status of the launch test and when the next wet dress rehearsal will take place. It’s unclear what the next steps will be, but the space agency will go into more detail at the conference. There is no official launch date for the Artemis 1 Moon Mission because the critical ground tests need to be completed first.
The Artemis 1 Moon Mission is the first step in sending humans back to the moon. This includes testing the SLS rocket ahead of that mission and having the Orion spacecraft fly around the moon. The SLS rocket will also have 10 satellites that will investigate the moon. The crewed mission has already been delayed to 2025. One can assume that the crewed mission could also be further delayed depending on how long it takes to complete the “wet dress rehearsal.” Hopefully, NASA has some answers at its press conference. This is a critical step to getting humans back on the moon and sending the first woman to the moon.
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