NASA’s new moon rocket is experiencing a few minor leaks but could soon be ready for its mission. Today, they ran an important fueling test for the Artemis 2 mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket had to be filled with over 700,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
During the test, teams encountered leaks and had to pause operations twice. Fortunately, they resolved the issues fairly quickly and managed to fill the rocket’s large tanks.
This fueling process is critical. It forms a part of the two-day-long rehearsal before the actual launch. Right now, NASA plans to launch Artemis 2 on February 8. This mission will take astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day journey around the moon. However, this depends on the success of the current tests and favorable weather.
While it’s uncertain whether the rehearsal will be considered a total success yet, a press conference is scheduled for February 3 to provide updates.
Leaking liquid hydrogen isn’t surprising. This molecule is very small and can escape through tiny cracks. Past missions, especially Artemis 1, faced similar issues, causing multiple delays.
Originally set to launch in spring 2022, Artemis 1 finally took off in November of that year and succeeded in sending an uncrewed Orion capsule to orbit the moon and back. This mission showed that the spacecraft can support future crewed missions to deep space.
NASA is leveraging lessons learned from Artemis 1 for this next mission. Interestingly, the leaks that arose during today’s tests were at the same interface where past leaks occurred. However, the Artemis 2 team quickly tackled the problem.
According to NASA, recent strategies helped them troubleshoot effectively. These proactive measures suggest that the team is well-prepared moving forward.
Overall, NASA’s efforts to return to the moon have sparked renewed interest in space exploration. In recent surveys, nearly 60% of Americans expressed support for extending human presence beyond Earth, emphasizing the excitement surrounding future lunar missions. As we approach the launch, many are keenly observing how NASA navigates these challenges.
For more updates, you can check trusted sources like NASA’s official site.
