NASA announced last Thursday that they will not conduct another fueling and countdown test of its moon rocket, and that after a repair, the rocket will be ready to launch.
NASA completed most of what they needed in a test last week known as a “wet dress rehearsal”, where they filled the Space Launch System’s (SIS) rocket with 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Due to a hydrogen leak, though, the simulated countdown was cut short though. Despite this, the space agency was proud of the results, considering the test very successful as they completed a majority of objectives they had not completed in the prior tests.
After the test last week, NASA was contemplating whether to conduct a fifth test, but the agency decided that the data was enough to attempt to launch the SLS rocket.
The first launch window is set in between Aug. 23 and Sept. 6. This launch, called Artemis I, would send the Orion capsule to orbit around the moon without any astronauts. A second launch, Artemis II, is estimated to be in 2024 and would have Orion carry four astronauts to the moon. The first actual moon landing is planned to be in 2025, but it all depends on the success of the prior missions.
NASA completed most of what they needed in a test last week known as a “wet dress rehearsal”, where they filled the Space Launch System’s (SIS) rocket with 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Due to a hydrogen leak, though, the simulated countdown was cut short though. Despite this, the space agency was proud of the results, considering the test very successful as they completed a majority of objectives they had not completed in the prior tests.
After the test last week, NASA was contemplating whether to conduct a fifth test, but the agency decided that the data was enough to attempt to launch the SLS rocket.
The first launch window is set in between Aug. 23 and Sept. 6. This launch, called Artemis I, would send the Orion capsule to orbit around the moon without any astronauts. A second launch, Artemis II, is estimated to be in 2024 and would have Orion carry four astronauts to the moon. The first actual moon landing is planned to be in 2025, but it all depends on the success of the prior missions.
