On Thursday, NASA announced that it will not conduct another test of its moon rocket. The agency plans to repair a hydrogen leak and prepare the rocket for a launch attempt in late August at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The moon rocket, Artemis 1, is part of the Artemis program, which aims towards returning astronauts to the lunar surface. The launch this August would send the Orion capsule, without any astronauts on board, in orbit around the moon. It is also the first launch attempt of the SLS rocket, NASA’s most powerful rocket in history.
According to NASA, they are “going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers.” The project and rocket construction both began in 2012, and NASA plans to land on the moon by 2026.
The test, known as a “wet dress rehearsal,” was mainly successful. NASA fueled the Space Launch System rocket’s two stages with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. However, during the simulated countdown, the test was cut short because of a hydrogen leak.
Nevertheless, NASA was still pleased with the results. “It was a great day. It was a very successful day, and we accomplished a majority of the objectives that we had not completed in the prior tests,” Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the Artemis launch director, told reporters after the test.
The test was the Artemis team’s fourth attempt, and its officials said they were unsure whether they needed to do it again. On Thursday, the agency announced that they have enough data to proceed with the launch. “NASA has reviewed the data from the rehearsal and determined the testing campaign is complete,” the agency stated, “NASA will set a specific target launch date after replacing hardware associated with the leak.”
The first launch attempt will happen between August 23 and September 6. It will be followed by Artemis II, perhaps in 2024, where four astronauts will fly to the moon but not land. The first landing will most likely come in 2025, depending on the previous launches.
The moon rocket, Artemis 1, is part of the Artemis program, which aims towards returning astronauts to the lunar surface. The launch this August would send the Orion capsule, without any astronauts on board, in orbit around the moon. It is also the first launch attempt of the SLS rocket, NASA’s most powerful rocket in history.
According to NASA, they are “going back to the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers.” The project and rocket construction both began in 2012, and NASA plans to land on the moon by 2026.
The test, known as a “wet dress rehearsal,” was mainly successful. NASA fueled the Space Launch System rocket’s two stages with more than 700,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. However, during the simulated countdown, the test was cut short because of a hydrogen leak.
Nevertheless, NASA was still pleased with the results. “It was a great day. It was a very successful day, and we accomplished a majority of the objectives that we had not completed in the prior tests,” Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the Artemis launch director, told reporters after the test.
The test was the Artemis team’s fourth attempt, and its officials said they were unsure whether they needed to do it again. On Thursday, the agency announced that they have enough data to proceed with the launch. “NASA has reviewed the data from the rehearsal and determined the testing campaign is complete,” the agency stated, “NASA will set a specific target launch date after replacing hardware associated with the leak.”
The first launch attempt will happen between August 23 and September 6. It will be followed by Artemis II, perhaps in 2024, where four astronauts will fly to the moon but not land. The first landing will most likely come in 2025, depending on the previous launches.
