United States Air Force and Space Administration (NASA) replaced the seals on two Artemis 1 rocket fuel housings last week. What processes next?
To collect Space, NASA engineers worked on the tail of the giant Artemis 1 rocket to completely replace the seal on Friday (9/9) local time. The improvements focused on the 8-inch-long channel in the hydrogen tanks leading to the central stage of the SLS rocket.
The leak forced NASA to cancel the Artemis 1 launch on September 3. While replacing the seals, the engineers also replaced the seals on the 4-inch hydrogen tank during the test launch on 29 August.
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“The eight-inch conduit used to fill and drain liquid hydrogen from the rocket’s center stage and the 4-inch line, which was used to divert part of the propellant during tank operation, have been removed and replaced,” he said. NASA said in a statement.
The repair process has now been completed. NASA is also preparing to test the results on Saturday (17/9) local time. NASA will fill the 98-meter-long rocket with the 736,000 gallons of hydrogen and liquid oxygen needed for its launch.
“The test will allow engineers to check the new seal in the cryogenic or supercooled conditions that are expected to occur on launch day and in the midst of subsequent launch attempts,” NASA said.
The test, known as the “start bleed test”, is designed to “freeze” the engine at minus 251 degrees Celsius. The goal is to prepare the engine for a super-cold propellant procedure.
NASA itself is aiming for September 23 for the launch of Artemis 1. The second test will take place four days later. However, it depends on the results of the leak repair and the combustion test.
On the other hand, NASA also needs the green light from the US Space Force so they don’t have to return the SLS rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building for standard tests of the rocket’s flight termination system if it breaks during launch.
Artemis 1 was NASA’s initial mission to return to the Moon. On Artemis 1, NASA will send the Orion drone into orbit around the Moon.
In the mission, NASA will collect a series of data to help the next Artemis mission. NASA itself already has 13 potential landing zones on the Earth satellite.
(lth / ar)
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