A ground test of NASA’s new moon rocket, which aimed to verify the success of repairs made following two failed liftoffs, was successfully conducted in Florida on Wednesday. The next takeoff attempt is scheduled for September 27.
“All the objectives we had set have been met,” said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director of the Artemis 1 mission, which is to be the first of the program to return Americans to the Moon.
In early September, the launch of the SLS rocket, the most powerful rocket ever built, had to be canceled at the last minute due to a leak observed when filling its tanks with cryogenic fuel – oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Hydrogen being highly flammable, these leaks must be avoided at all costs.
NASA has since made repairs, replacing a gasket at the connection between the rocket and the large pipes feeding it fuel. This seal had obviously been damaged by debris of unknown origin.
Slight leak
Wednesday’s test included refilling the fuel tanks. A slight hydrogen leak was once once more observed during operations, but it was able to be checked by NASA teams.
Last week, the agency said it was targeting Tuesday, September 27 for the next take-off attempt, in less than a week. A fallback date, October 2, has also been announced.
“Teams will evaluate test data, along with weather and other factors, before confirming readiness for the next launch opportunity,” the US space agency said in a blog post.
Asked regarding the question, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson did not want to come forward, but said she was “very encouraged” by the course of the test on Wednesday.
For the September 27 date to be met, NASA also needs to obtain a waiver from the US space force regarding the battery life of the rocket’s emergency self-destruct system, designed to detonate it in case of a deviating trajectory following take-off. This period was normally limited to 25 days. However, the rocket has been on its launch pad for much longer.
/ATS
