The last, crucial test before the start of the Artemis I mission had to be stopped. The reason was the problems with loading fuel into the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The next refueling approach is scheduled for Monday. If all goes to plan this time, the mission could begin in June or July.
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“We’ve fixed and reconfigured from what was before,” said Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, Artemis launch director, in a press conference on Sunday. “Our team met and made a plan for tomorrow’s refueling, so everything is already fine-tuned,” he added.
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The team had to solve a problem with the fans. If everything goes according to plan, the huge, approximately 100-meter long rocket will be refueled from 7 a.m. local time (in Poland it will be 1 p.m.). Seven hours later, the countdown would begin.
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Artemis I mission rehearsal runs into troublePAP / EPA / JOEL KOWSKY / NASA / HANDOUT
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“Wet dress rehearsal”
The test, known as the “wet dress up” rehearsal, began on Friday afternoon. It simulates every stage of the take-off, except for leaving the take-off point. Includes turning on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft, loading fuel into the rocket’s tanks, a full countdown simulating a take-off, resetting the countdown timer and emptying the rocket’s tanks.
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Operations were stopped before loading fuel to the main stage of the rocket “due to the loss of the ability to maintain pressure in the mobile launcher,” the agency said. Blackwell-Thompson added that the unit’s main and backup power fans were not functioning properly. Each has different problems.
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Why fans are so important
– Fans are necessary to ensure overpressure in the enclosed spaces of the mobile launcher and contain dangerous gases. Without this capability, technicians cannot safely continue loading fuel into the rocket core and transition cryogenic power stage, he said.
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As he explained, the fans ensure that the gases do not accumulate and do not cause a fire hazard or increase the danger.
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Rakieta Space Launch System PAP / EPA / JOEL KOWSKY / NASA / HANDOUT
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Lightning hit the launch site
These aren’t the only problems the mission team encountered. On Saturday, Artemis I survived a severe thunderstorm. Four lightning bolts struck in the vicinity of launch site 39B. The first three discharges were weak and hit tower no.2, while the fourth was much stronger and hit tower no.1.
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At that time, the Orion spacecraft and the central stage of the SLS rocket were on. The rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage and engines were also powered off.
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The fourth strike was “the strongest ever since the new lightning protection system was installed,” said Jeremy Parsons, associate director of the ground systems exploration program at NASA’s Space Center at NASA’s Space Center, on social media. John F. Kennedy. The lightning “hit the catenary that runs between the three towers. The system worked very well and kept SLS and Orion safe. I’m glad we’ve increased protection,” he added in the post.
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According to experts, later problems were not related to this event. – The fan operated normally during the storm. And it ran for hours this morning before it ran into a problem, said Blackwell-Thompson.
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Despite the delays, the team was prepared to conduct a dressage rehearsal on Sunday until there were problems with refueling. Parsons recalled, however, that the purpose of the test is to detect faults and refine the details before the day of take-off.
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Artistic concept of the Artemis 1 mission – unmanned flight around the moon NASA/Holly Zell
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Conquer the Moon again
The results of the dress rehearsal determine when Artemis I will go on a mission to the moon and return to Earth. Its launch will initiate NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to bring people back to our natural satellite.
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The unmanned mission could start in June or July. The Orion spacecraft is scheduled to reach the moon and then fly thousands of kilometers beyond it – further than any other spacecraft designed to carry humans. This mission is to last several weeks and end with the launch of the ship in the Pacific Ocean.
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Artemis I is the last testing ground for Orion before the spacecraft brings astronauts to the moon. Then it is time for the Artemis II mission where the crew will fly over the Moon. The next one will be Artemis III and it is during it that the astronauts are to stand on the surface of the moon. The starting dates for the next missions depend on the Artemis I mission.
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Visualization of the Artemis mission (NASA / Jason Roberts)NASA/Jason Roberts
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photo-source">Main photo source: PAP / EPA / JOEL KOWSKY / NASA / HANDOUT
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