Last Thursday, NASA finally gathered enough information to proceed with the enormous Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s first-ever launch attempt. After the test, NASA officials thought they would have to test it again but found out they did not need to because and began preparations for its flight later this year.
The SLS which is the most powerful rocket ever created, will be the foundation of NASA’s Artemis program when used in combination with the Orion spacecraft. The entire rocket and spaceship were wheeled out to the launchpad for the first time in March after more than a decade of research and testing.
NASA completed the majority of the “wet dress rehearsal” test, during which the SLS rocket’s two stages were fully fueled with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. However, a hydrogen leak stopped the simulated countdown with 29 seconds to go.
Still, NASA was pleased with the results. “It was a great day,” Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the Artemis launch director, told reporters after the test. “It was a very successful day, and we accomplished a majority of the objectives that we had not completed in the prior [test].”
Last week’s test was the fifth attempt, and NASA officials remained unsure if they would need to conduct it again. However, they declared last Thursday that there is enough evidence to move forward with the massive SLS rocket’s first-ever launch attempt, which the agency plans to use to send astronauts back to the moon.
“NASA has reviewed the data from the rehearsal and determined the testing campaign is complete,” the agency said in a statement. To fix the leak and get the rocket and spacecraft ready for launch, the agency will ring the rocket and the Orion crew capsule back into the assembly building.
“NASA will set a specific target launch date after replacing hardware associated with the leak,” the agency stated. The initial launch window would be from August 23 to September 6.
That launch known as, Artemis I, will place the un-crewed Orion capsule into orbit around the moon. Artemis II is scheduled to come soon after it, possibly in 2024, and will send four astronauts in an Orion spacecraft to orbit the moon without making physical contact. The first Artemis moon landing may occur in 2025, although the timing will depend on the results of previous missions how quickly the spacecraft can be obtained.
The SLS which is the most powerful rocket ever created, will be the foundation of NASA’s Artemis program when used in combination with the Orion spacecraft. The entire rocket and spaceship were wheeled out to the launchpad for the first time in March after more than a decade of research and testing.
NASA completed the majority of the “wet dress rehearsal” test, during which the SLS rocket’s two stages were fully fueled with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. However, a hydrogen leak stopped the simulated countdown with 29 seconds to go.
Still, NASA was pleased with the results. “It was a great day,” Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the Artemis launch director, told reporters after the test. “It was a very successful day, and we accomplished a majority of the objectives that we had not completed in the prior [test].”
Last week’s test was the fifth attempt, and NASA officials remained unsure if they would need to conduct it again. However, they declared last Thursday that there is enough evidence to move forward with the massive SLS rocket’s first-ever launch attempt, which the agency plans to use to send astronauts back to the moon.
“NASA has reviewed the data from the rehearsal and determined the testing campaign is complete,” the agency said in a statement. To fix the leak and get the rocket and spacecraft ready for launch, the agency will ring the rocket and the Orion crew capsule back into the assembly building.
“NASA will set a specific target launch date after replacing hardware associated with the leak,” the agency stated. The initial launch window would be from August 23 to September 6.
That launch known as, Artemis I, will place the un-crewed Orion capsule into orbit around the moon. Artemis II is scheduled to come soon after it, possibly in 2024, and will send four astronauts in an Orion spacecraft to orbit the moon without making physical contact. The first Artemis moon landing may occur in 2025, although the timing will depend on the results of previous missions how quickly the spacecraft can be obtained.
